HomeAway and Expedia.com in new partnership
HomeAway and Expedia have announced an agreement to feature thousands of rental properties on the leading travel site.
“This is a significant milestone for the vacation rental industry and for realizing HomeAway’s mission to make every vacation rental in the world available to every traveler in the world,” said HomeAway CEO Brian Sharples. “As one of the most visited online travel agencies, each month Expedia.com will give millions of travelers the opportunity to discover the benefits of booking a vacation rental, and we look forward to also helping our customers increase the visibility of their properties.”
Expanding upon the current relationship with HomeAway’s BedandBreakfast.com, the pilot launch is expected in early 2014 and will include roughly 10,000 properties throughout the U.S. and Mexico
John Morrey, Vice President and General Manager of Expedia.com said “As a leading provider of full-service travel bookings, Expedia.com is constantly looking for opportunities to improve the breadth and depth of the products we offer.”
“In exploring the addition of standalone vacation rental homes to Expedia.com in the U.S., it made the most sense to do so in partnership with HomeAway, the world’s leading vacation rental provider. We think it will be a win-win-win, for Expedia, HomeAway, and – most importantly – consumers.”
While the move represents a risk for Expedia as it deviates from its core hotel business it clearly marks a shifting point in the inclusion of holiday/vacation rentals in the travel industry.
HomeAway and Expedia declined to comment on whether a commission will be paid during this pilot.