For years, Airbnb has helped travelers find places to stay. Then it expanded to help people find experiences — cooking classes, walking tours, surf lessons, and more. Now, Airbnb’s latest app update takes things a step further: it’s helping travelers connect with each other.

This new social feature transforms Airbnb from a booking platform into a community builder. For entrepreneurs and small business owners, that’s more than a tech upgrade — it’s a reminder that success in today’s experience economy is about connection, not just service.

Key Takeaways

• Airbnb now lets users who are attending the same “Experience” message each other directly inside the app.
• Guests can see who else is going to the event and connect before or after it happens.
• Airbnb’s move signals a shift toward community-driven travel, not just transactions.
• For small business owners, it’s a blueprint for building community around your brand.
• The future of experiences — online or offline — is social, interactive, and human.

The Power of Bringing People Together

Whether you’re hosting a cooking workshop, a guided city tour, or a small business mastermind, people aren’t just buying an experience — they’re buying belonging. Airbnb’s new feature makes that belonging visible and tangible.

Attendees can now see who else has booked the same experience and start a conversation before the event begins. Afterward, they can stay in touch through the Airbnb app. That means your class or tour doesn’t have to end when the day does — the relationships can keep growing long after everyone’s gone home.

This change gives hosts a powerful opportunity: to turn every one-time event into the start of a lasting community.

From Transactions to Connections

Airbnb’s CEO Brian Chesky has said the company wants to make travel more personal and human again. This new feature does exactly that. Instead of focusing only on what’s being booked, Airbnb is focusing on who is coming together.

This is especially important for small business owners. When you help people meet others with shared interests, you become more than a business — you become a connector. And connectors build loyalty, trust, and word-of-mouth growth faster than almost any marketing campaign.

Imagine a local chef hosting a pasta-making class. With this new messaging feature, guests can coordinate who’s bringing what, share photos afterward, or even plan to book another class together. What used to be a single transaction now becomes a social experience that fuels future business.

Why Small Businesses Should Care

1. Build Communities Around Your Brand

Every small business can learn from Airbnb’s approach. Think about how to make your customers feel part of something bigger than a purchase — a group, a network, a shared story.

2. Extend Engagement Beyond the Event

After an experience, Airbnb users can now keep talking. You can do the same. Follow up with your attendees, share content, and encourage them to stay connected.

3. Encourage Repeat Customers

People love coming back to familiar faces. When your event or service brings people together, they’ll want to return — not just for your offering, but for the relationships they formed through it.

4. Differentiate Yourself With Connection

In an age where many services are competing on price or convenience, you can compete on humanity. Offer something memorable that connects people emotionally.

Action Steps for Entrepreneurs

• Design for connection: Add icebreakers or group activities to your experiences.
• Promote the social side: Market your offering as a way to meet like-minded people.
• Follow up afterward: Encourage attendees to stay in touch — and give them a reason to return.
• Measure engagement: Track repeat bookings and referrals that come from past groups.
• Think community-first: Whether through social media, email, or events, keep the conversation going.

The Big Picture

Airbnb’s latest feature shows that the future of business — not just travel — is social. People want to connect, not just consume.

As small business owners, the lesson is clear: your products or services may bring people in, but the connections you foster will make them stay.

If you can turn every customer interaction into a relationship, and every event into a small community, you’ll be doing more than growing a business — you’ll be creating belonging.