25. A muted celebration for a quarter of a century birthday

This year probably feels like it has taken 25 years to pass for many brands in the travel industry.

Vrbo is no exception to this, other than 2020 was going to be the year when it marked a quarter of a century in operation.

Celebrations might a little muted than perhaps planned, for obvious reasons, but its president Jeff Hurst (who also serves as president an co-lead of marketing at the Expedia Group mothership) is happy to talk about the milestone and where the business finds itself mid-pandemic.

Hurst acknowledges that private accommodation is serving as a beneficial driver of recovery in the wider portfolio of brands at Expedia Group.

But he also concedes that there is work to do to instil trust in travelers again, not due to the brand itself but the worries that many have over COVID-related world that accommodation now finds itself in.

In an interview with PhocusWire this week, Hurst talks about the key moments in the Vrbo story (IPO in 2011, sale to Expedia Group in 2015 and the switch from a subscription-based service to individual bookings shortly after) and the impact that the arrival of Airbnb had on the marketplace.

Here's the full interview by PhocusWire's Kevin May with Hurst, recorded for the latest episode of the InPhocus podcast.

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