Airbnb raises its growth outlook as travel bookings climb
The company expects high-teens revenue growth for 2026 and announces a new share-buyback authorization.
Airbnb raised its full-year revenue-growth outlook after a stronger third quarter, offering a company-level sign that travel demand is holding up. The lodging marketplace now expects 2026 revenue growth in the high teens, compared with its earlier forecast of at least mid-teens growth.
Third-quarter revenue rose 19% to about $4.9 billion, according to the company. Gross booking value, the total value of bookings rather than Airbnb's own revenue, increased 21% to $27.7 billion. Nights and Seats Booked grew 16%.
More bookings, with some help from prices
Airbnb attributed booking-value growth to strong demand and a moderately higher average daily rate. Those are related but different drivers: more bookings increase activity, while higher prices or a shift toward more expensive stays can increase the value of that activity.
Net income was $1.9 billion. Adjusted EBITDA was $2.5 billion, up 22% from a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure and is not the same as net income or cash flow.
The company expects fourth-quarter revenue of $3.22 billion to $3.28 billion, representing growth of 16% to 18%. That forecast includes an approximately two-percentage-point benefit from foreign exchange after its hedging program. Currency effects are part of the outlook, not an additional growth figure to add on top.
A buyback authorization, not a completed purchase
Airbnb also announced authorization to repurchase up to an additional $12 billion of its Class A shares. The authorization gives the company permission to buy shares; it does not mean that amount has already been spent.
The raised forecast contrasts with travel-industry caution reported by Reuters over higher airfares and disruption linked to the Iran war. Airbnb's results are evidence about its own marketplace, not proof that every travel company or destination is experiencing the same demand.
The next test is whether that booking momentum carries into the fourth quarter. Management's forecast is stronger than before, but it remains a forecast rather than a guarantee of holiday-season travel or future shareholder returns.
