Why we call everything ‘an Airbnb’, and why that’s a problem

We are not an Airbnb!

Over the past ten years, something striking has happened in the world of travel and hospitality. Whereas people used to talk about a B&B, agriturismo, holiday home or private room, more and more travellers are now using a single word to describe it all: Airbnb.

An agriturismo in Tuscany, a B&B in Puglia, a room with a family in Le Marche, or even a self-catering holiday home in the countryside — for many travellers, it’s simply known as ‘an Airbnb’.

That may seem harmless, but it says a lot about the enormous influence that major platforms have on the way we travel, search for information and think.

How a brand name became a generic term

Airbnb isn’t the first brand to become a generic term. Think of Spa, Frisbee, and Post-it. But in the travel industry, this shift has a much greater impact.

Because whilst a Post-it is simply a sticky note, ‘Airbnb’ has come to represent an entire category of accommodation that often has nothing to do with the platform.

An agriturismo that has been run by an Italian family for thirty years
The B&B that has deliberately chosen not to list on major platforms
The holiday home that is only available to book via its own website
A small-scale accommodation that operates on a direct booking basis and through personal contact

Yet travellers all refer to them as “Airbnbs”. Not only is this incorrect, it also changes the way people view small-scale hospitality.

The downside of platform dominance

This dominance of large platforms has a number of consequences that often go unnoticed.

1. The identity of local accommodation is becoming less distinct

An agriturismo is not an Airbnb. A B&B is not an Airbnb. A holiday home is not an Airbnb.

They are independent businesses, each with their own history, style and hospitality. By lumping them all together, that distinction is lost.

2. Travellers think that everything has to be done via platforms

Many people now assume that any accommodation is, by definition, listed on Airbnb. Can’t find it on Airbnb? Then it ‘doesn’t exist’.

That is a misconception. In Italy, and certainly in regions such as Le Marche and Abruzzo, hundreds of small-scale accommodation providers deliberately choose not to use major booking platforms. They opt for direct bookings, personal contact and fair prices.

3. Small businesses become dependent on a single player

When a platform becomes the standard, dependency arises. That is risky.

Commissions are rising
Rules are changing
Visibility is determined by algorithms
Local business owners are losing control of their own businesses

For many small Italian accommodation providers, this is a real problem.

Why direct bookings are more important than ever

For travellers, the convenience of a single, comprehensive platform seems ideal. But direct bookings have advantages that are often overlooked.

For the guest

You’ll get fairer prices
direct contact with the owner
better information about the local area
You support the local economy without any middlemen

Regarding the accommodation

No commissions
More freedom
Better personal relationships with guests
Less reliance on algorithms

It is precisely this direct relationship that platforms have gradually supplanted.

How we can change the way we use language

Language changes through use. And so we can shape it back again.

Just call an agriturismo an agriturismo, a B&B a B&B, and a holiday home a holiday home.

And if it has been booked via Airbnb, then it is accommodation listed on Airbnb, not an Airbnb itself.

That small linguistic difference restores something important: the identity of the place and the people who run it.

VAI! stands for genuine Italian hospitality

At VAI!, it’s all about direct connections between travellers and local businesses. No commissions, no algorithms, no anonymous platform logic.

Italy just as it should be: personal, intimate, authentic.

By referring to accommodation by its real name, we keep that story alive!