Vrbo Strengthens Marketplace With AI And New Tools

Published on September 17, 2025

By widening Vrbo’s exposure across Expedia Group’s enterprise-scale platforms, the company is seizing the burgeoning global travel rebound and moving to elevate the visibility of its vacation-rental brand ahead of the next peak season. The coordinated enhancements target streamlined operations for owners, new paths for revenue capture, and elevated exposure to high-quality customer segments throughout the travel funnel. Designed to extend Vrbo’s value proposition, the upgrades ensure that the brand remains a premier option as consumers favour wholly serviced homes and unique experiences. At the same time, the investment is conceived to reinforce owner returns through integrated inventory and pricing management.

Expedia Group has seized the moment presented by the acceleration of vacation-rental demand across both mature and emerging markets. The enhancement of Vrbo’s distribution architecture fortified by deeper alliances with carrier loyalty programmes, high-volume travel-agency networks, and next-generation technological embeds has been engineered to deliver a friction-less discovery and check-out aisle for global travellers. Together, the connected portfolio of assets materialises a clear and differentiating intent to position Vrbo as the preferred aggregator for multi-market accommodation.

Expanding Visibility Through Partnerships and Global Distribution

The key to Vrbo’s strategy lies in increasing its distribution across Expedia Group’s extensive global ecosystem. Vrbo will be introduced to a wider audience, including travellers through strategic B2B partnerships with major industry players such as Delta, Alaska Airlines, and Revolut. This expansion will give travellers more options, whether they are booking flights or accommodations, as vacation rentals will now appear alongside traditional hotel listings.

In addition to its direct consumer-facing platforms, Vrbo’s properties are set to be distributed across Expedia’s B2B network, which includes over 70,000 businesses and more than 160,000 travel agents globally. This network will play a pivotal role in amplifying the reach of vacation rentals and ensuring they are visible to a broader audience, driving more demand and tourism to destinations worldwide.

Introducing New Tools for Hosts to Boost Performance

Vrbo has also focused on improving the user experience for both hosts and guests. Starting in early 2026, Vrbo will enhance its Premier Host program by recognising individual listings rather than entire host profiles. This shift will allow high-performing properties to receive more visibility, based on stringent criteria like a ninety nine percent acceptance rate, zero cancellation rates, and high guest satisfaction scores.

To support these changes, Vrbo is introducing new tools that will help hosts streamline their operations. These tools include self-service content management capabilities that will allow property owners to update their listings and policies in near real-time. Additionally, partners will gain access to Vrbo Promotions, offering targeted deals such as early bookings, last-minute offers, and special discounts for members. These innovations are expected to make Vrbo more efficient for hosts and attractive to travellers.

Harnessing AI for Smarter Booking Experiences

Vrbo is also leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance its booking process and improve guest experiences. Among the most notable advancements are AI-powered guest review summaries, which quickly highlight key aspects of properties based on previous guests experiences. This feature is expected to simplify the booking process for travelers, making it easier to select accommodations based on verified guest reviews.

Furthermore, Vrbo has introduced AI tools to dynamically display property highlights and frequently asked questions (FAQs) based on guest reviews. This innovation allows for more personalised property recommendations, ensuring that potential guests can quickly identify properties that match their preferences.

The Future of Vrbo and Global Tourism Growth

With enhanced capabilities rolling out and a wider distribution network being reinforced, Vrbo is poised to throttle up international tourism once again. The platform’s sharpened search tools, coupled with broader exposure across Expedia Group touchpoints, stitch vacation rentals even tighter into the global tourism fabric. Retreating to curated and high-quality stays is now a firm traveller preference; Vrbo’s latest capabilities satisfy this demand and lift the brand’s share of the booming vacation rental pie.

The imminent rollout of a new performance and coaching milestone framework will deliver crisp, practical analytics, steering hosts toward listing polish and conversion gains. When merged with broadened reach and fresh Vrbo inventory visibility, this toolkit is on track to redefine the traveller’s encounter with vacation rentals, positioning the segment as a full-sector disruptor.

As Expedia Group presses on with its cycle of innovation around vacation rental solutions, the platform’s fresh moves will funnel further traveller traffic into the segment and spur meaningful acceleration of tourism growth while extending the vacation rental market’s global reach.