The influence of Airbnb

Airbnb is a platform where supply and demand for accommodations all over the world come together. The idea for Airbnb was born in San Francisco in 2007. Former classmates Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky share an apartment in that city and can barely pay the rent every month. When a major convention is held in San Francisco and all the hotel rooms turn out to be full, they decide to put three air mattresses in the living room and rent them out through a makeshift website called “Airbed and Breakfast.” The name Airbed and Breakfast has now been changed to Airbnb and it is no longer about three air mattresses, but about three million accommodations. Although there are also quite a few B & Bs and hostels that have registered their rooms on Airbnb, the vast majority of the accommodations are owned by private individuals who try to earn extra pocket money by renting out their house or room. In 12 years, Airbnb has grown into one of the largest accommodation booking sites in the world and is known as a site where you can book very nice and original accommodations, often at a very reasonable price.

Influence on hotels

Many hotels in the Netherlands say they are suffering from the rise of Airbnb and other forms of private holiday rental of rooms or houses. According to a KPMG survey, 40 percent of hotels face competition from private individuals. Hotels in the three-star segment and hotels in the lowest price range with room prices up to 65 euros experience the most competition from this. In 2013, they saw both the occupancy rate and the average room price fall. The average room price of more luxurious hotels also fell last year. The occupancy rate of 4- and 5-star hotels still increased slightly. But also chic hotels are now saying that tourists are more likely to opt for an Airbnb apartment instead of a hotel room.

Influence on house and rental prices

The presence of Airbnb is likely to lead to higher home prices and rents. The first reason is that commercial landlords buy up houses and rent them out to tourists. Second, homeowners can rent out their home or a room for part of the year and earn extra money. The first reason is certainly bad news for local tenants, who now have to move or pay more due to the increased rents.

Several reports have already surfaced suggesting that neighborhoods with many Airbnb are experiencing significant price increases. An analysis by New York University found that in the Williamsburg and Greenpoint neighborhoods, prices have risen between 1.2 and 2.3 percent as a result of rentals through online platforms. The renowned online magazine The Real Deal calculated that rents in these neighborhoods would drop between $37 and $69 if the homes were used normally. Based on an estimated average rent of $3,055, that would mean a price drop of 1.21 and 2.25 percent.

It is very special how a fairly simple technical business model can have such a huge impact on an industry. Hotels that have been established for decades are faced with fewer bookings. Neighborhoods are faced with higher housing and rental prices. Airbnb had such a great influence in Amsterdam that the municipality entered into a partnership with the company. This indicates how great the influence of Airbnb can be.

The Hyperloop!

The Hyperloop is a revolutionary and sustainable concept that enables people to travel at the speed of aircraft, but with the comfort of a train and with a fraction of the energy used by today’s modes of transport. The Hyperloop is a high-speed transport system with tubes, in which capsules with passengers move. The tubes are under a low pressure, so the air resistance is so low that it is possible to travel almost at the speed of sound. The Hyperloop takes passengers to destinations hundreds of kilometers away in no time. For example, it will be possible to travel from Amsterdam to Paris or Berlin within half an hour.

With a hyperloop network in the Netherlands, the Randstad will be accessible from all corners of the country in less than half an hour. The time has come for the growth of air traffic to be slowed down. Electric aircraft are also not a solution for both the short and long term. There must be an alternative that is at least as attractive as flying.

The advantages of the hyperloop are considerable: short travel time, no climate pollution and affordable for everyone. The tubes through which the trains travel can be built both underground and above ground and the network must yield an international economic reinforcement. The hyperloop hardly emits any CO2 and uses solar energy, making the system very environmentally friendly. Finding the space to build the infrastructure of the hyperloop is less complicated than that of a train. The tube can be built both under and above the ground. The pipe can even be built on stilts to avoid separating two areas or when there is no ground available.

Yet there are also critical voices. Not everyone is equally enthusiastic about the hyperloop. For example, the hyperloop would not be suitable for short distances and would therefore not be interesting for a country like the Netherlands. According to critics, the potential of the hyperloop is limited, the potential only exists for certain flows within Europe. The hyperloop should first focus on a European scale and then mainly from city to city. It is difficult to immediately apply the hyperloop on a global scale due to infrastructure that is difficult to build. The only option that immediately comes to mind for the construction of the hyperloop is next to or above a rail or motorway, but due to the speed of the hyperloop, it is necessary to drive on straight stretches as much as possible. The development of this infrastructure is a considerable investment in money and time, which could make the hyperloop a relatively expensive means of transport. In addition, the payload of the hyperloop is just as high as the smallest payloads for road and air freight. The smallest payloads are referred to as small trucks and airplanes.

Furthermore there is also criticism from experts who state that there are still many technical snags to the hyperloop. There are also doubts about the costs. According to estimates, the 560-kilometer stretch between Los Angeles and San Francisco would cost $ 6 billion. Experts find that estimate far too low. If we compare it to the construction of a high-speed line. This cost seven billion euros for a 125-kilometer route.

There are many advantages and disadvantages, but the idea remains fantastic that it would be possible to easily travel from Amsterdam to Paris within half an hour. What do you think? Is the hyperloop the future in the transport industry?