Why Airbnb, Capital One, Outdoorsy, Atlas Obscura, and Discover Puerto Rico are some of the most exciting travel companies of the year.
The best travel companies of 2023 are anticipating the changing desires of travelers. After what cofounder and CEO Brian Chesky calls a “near-death business experience” in 2020, Airbnb had its strongest year on record in 2022, taking in $8.4 billion in revenue and $1.9 billion in net income—its first profitable full year. It succeeded, says Chesky, by getting rid of distracting side projects and focusing on how to make its core product—home rentals—better for travelers and hosts alike. For travelers, that means being able to search for accommodations based on what they want to do, not simply where they want to go, a simple but profound change. For hosts, it means having access to Genius Bar–style support as they ease their way onto the platform for the first time. That effort helped the company add more than 900,000 new listings to the site last year.
Capital One similarly had a breakout year with its Venture X travel rewards card by focusing on the basics. It tapped the inventive travel-booking app Hopper to help it build a rewards-travel booking platform that you’ll actually want to use. The company is now layering on luxurious extras for cardholders, including airport lounges with food from chef José Andrés and a collection of hotels where travelers get additional benefits.
Anticipating what travelers want is at the heart of RV rental marketplace Outdoorsy‘s success. Founded in 2015, the company has spun the surge of interest in campers and RVs during the pandemic into $2 billion worth of transactions, while also spinning out a lucrative RV insurance product. It’s proving that the RV boom is more than a pandemic fad. Travel media company Atlas Obscura, meanwhile, has developed a deep well of content around unique and under-the-radar sites and destinations. As travelers’ appetites for this kind of content has grown, the company has given them more ways to consume it, from books and a hit podcast to small-group tours.
Puerto Rico has long been known for its enticing ad campaigns. But in 2022, the island’s destination marketing organization, Discover Puerto Rico, decided to eschew the traditional approach of showcasing beaches and resorts. Instead it channeled travelers’ growing desire for authenticity, even on a beach vacation. Puerto Rico’s latest advertising campaign, Live Boricua, focuses on the island’s people and distinct culture. The campaign is inspired by the island’s original name, given by the indigenous Taínos who inhabited it well before the Spanish arrived.
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