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Airbnb Associates Alternatives – Affiliate Programs Similar to Airbnb's

Airbnb Associates Alternatives – Affiliate Programs Similar to Airbnb’s

2021-03-15
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The news that, on March 31st, 2021, the Airbnb Associates Program will be closing down came like a bolt from the blue. Thousands of webmasters who have worked with the Airbnb affiliate program must now urgently search for alternatives to maintain their income. We’ve looked at what’s going on and found the best alternatives to the Airbnb affiliate program.

Does Airbnb have an affiliate program?

Airbnb previously offered an affiliate program in which webmasters could earn money on different services:

  • Accommodations for guests
  • Adding new listings by homeowners

Until 2020, the Airbnb affiliate program was available only to large brands and websites with tons of traffic. In May 2020, Airbnb opened the program to more people, including websites with low traffic volume. Since then, it has been quite a popular affiliate program within the accommodations niche, which is a lucrative area for travel bloggers to earn money in.

On March 1st, 2021, Airbnb notified all partners that the affiliate program would stop working on March 31st and recommended that they remove their links:

In order to continue earning money on apartments and other private accommodation options, former Airbnb affiliates need to find alternative solutions. Moreover, for new affiliates, it’s already impossible to join the Airbnb affiliate program.

Are there any alternatives to the Airbnb affiliate program?

Airbnb is undoubtedly one of the leaders in the private accommodations niche and, until recently, offered a convenient program through which you could earn money from both guests and property owners. However, Airbnb is not the only player in the market, so you can replace their services without a gap in income and potentially earn even more.

Note that classic hotel affiliate programs are only partial alternatives to Airbnb Associates. Airbnb customers are usually unwilling to stay in hotels, which is why they book private accommodations. So, if you forcibly drive traffic to hotels, you will most likely experience a decrease in conversion rates and a drop in revenue.

In order to achieve conversion rates similar to Airbnb Associates, you should focus on hotel websites that offer apartments, such as:

  • Booking.com
  • Trivago
  • Agoda
  • Hotelscombined
  • Expedia

The full list of the best hotel affiliate programs is available here.

So, to replace Airbnb for travelers, you must offer at least comparable accommodation options. This can be done through hotel affiliate programs, such as Booking.com or other hotel services. In this case, it’s important to follow these guidelines:

  • Advertisers should offer options for private residences, apartments, houses, and more.
  • Drive the traffic specifically to the private accommodations category, not the hotels category.
  • Offer your audience specific options. For example, create a deep link to a specific apartment or collection of apartments.

For example, Agoda runs a special section for private stays:

There is a similar section on the Booking.com website as well:

You can drive traffic directly for such offers, as they will most likely suit your audience’s needs more than any hotel.

However, hotel affiliate programs are not your only option. There are also some solutions that can perfectly replace Airbnb Associates. Below, we have compiled a list of the best alternatives to the Airbnb affiliate program that will allow you to replace your Airbnb Associate links. Supplement this list with your own ideas in the comments section.

Hotellook affiliate program

The Hotellook affiliate program is not just an alternative for Airbnb Associates, it is a tool to continue earning on the Airbnb affiliate program right now. Airbnb options are also available to Hotellook users, as Hotellook continues to partner with Airbnb as a data provider:

When a client books an accommodation on Airbnb through Hotellook, you will get a commission on their stay.

Hotellook affiliates receive 60-70% of Hotellook’s income, which averages to around 4.92% of the cost of each stay. The exact amount of the commission depends on the volume of bookings per month, as well as the selected accommodation option.

In the Hotellook affiliate program, you will also earn on other reservations, including those made via Booking.com, Agoda, and other services presented in Hotellook’s results page.

A large list of tools is available for affiliates, including links, various widgets, and a White Label tool that allows you to develop your own brand.

The Hotellook affiliate program is available through the Travelpayouts affiliate network.

Vrbo affiliate program

Vrbo is one of Airbnb’s main competitors. Vrbo is a similar platform on which landlords can list accommodations and guests can find a place to stay and making a booking. Affiliates can earn money on both.

The Vrbo Family includes several websites, each of which specializes in its own region:

  • Vrbo
  • HomeAway
  • Abritel.fr
  • FeWo-direkt.de
  • Bookabach.co.nz
  • Stayz.com.au

Most of the projects from the Vrbo Family are available in the Travelpayouts affiliate network, though you can also work with the affiliate program directly.

You will earn up to 3% for every client you refer who books a stay, as well as $20 for each new listing published on Vrbo thanks to you.

Vrbo currently offers over two million vacation rental listings in locations around the world. This platform may perfectly suit your audience’s needs in place of Airbnb.

When will the Airbnb affiliate program be available again?

Airbnb has closed its affiliate program in the past, then reopened it or radically changed the terms. We do not know if the Airbnb affiliate program will be available in the future, but one thing is for sure, there are many decent alternatives to the Airbnb affiliate program on the market right now, which you should definitely use to earn money on private accommodations.

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