So first, let me say that I have never used Airbnb, but it has always intrigued me.
The way I understand it is this:
People, including yourself, can rent out your house...kind of like a vacation home, or you could rent someone else's house as a vacation home. From my understanding, there are rigorous background checks for the renters and the rentees. Airbnb seems to appeal to people that want to truly experience a locale. Maybe staying at a hotel doesn't give them the feel they are looking for. Maybe they want to blend in a little more?
Okay, I don't really know what motivation people have, but I do know that it is catching on. The appeal value for me just went up today when I read the following article about using Barclay Arrival+ points for Airbnb stays!
Anyway, it's got me thinking...
http://millionmilesecrets.com/2016/10/30/can-i-use-barclaycard-arrival-miles-for-airbnb-stays/
Thanks for reading :)