Online Travel Stocks Decline as US International Tourism Weakens
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 14 2026
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Should l Buy ABNB?
Source: seekingalpha
- Decline in Foreign Visitors: In 2025, the U.S. saw a 6% drop in foreign visitors, totaling 68 million, significantly lower than France's 105 million and Spain's 96.5 million, indicating a loss of competitiveness in the international tourism market.
- Decreased Spending: International tourist spending in the U.S. fell by 7%, closely linked to the decline in arrivals from key markets such as Canada, Mexico, and Europe, adversely affecting the overall tourism economy.
- Domestic Travel Resilience: Despite the weakness in international tourism, the U.S. remains the world's largest travel economy, suggesting that strong domestic travel is partially offsetting the downturn in the international market.
- Policy Impact Analysis: Analysts have pointed to backlash against U.S. immigration policy as a potential reason for the decline in foreign tourism, negatively impacting online travel companies like Airbnb, Expedia, and Booking Holdings.
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Analyst Views on ABNB
Wall Street analysts forecast ABNB stock price to rise
29 Analyst Rating
12 Buy
16 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 142.650
Low
107.00
Averages
144.85
High
180.00
Current: 142.650
Low
107.00
Averages
144.85
High
180.00
About ABNB
Airbnb, Inc. operates a global platform for stays and experiences. The Company’s marketplace model connects hosts and guests online or through mobile devices to book spaces and experiences around the world. The Company has built its platform to onboard new hosts, especially those who previously had not considered hosting. It partners with hosts throughout the process of setting up their listing and provides them with a suite of tools to manage their listings, including scheduling, merchandising, integrated payments, community support, host protection, pricing guidance, and feedback from reviews. Its Website and mobile applications provide its guests with a way to explore a variety of homes and experiences and an easy way to book them. Its technology platform powers its two-sided marketplace and enables its global network of hosts and guests. It owns a trademark portfolio with protection in 220 countries in which it operates for its primary brands, AIRBNB, and its Belo logo.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Market Share Expectations: The firm expects Airbnb to double its OTA hotel market share in its core five markets from 4% to 8%, which will significantly enhance the company's financial performance.
- New Growth Initiatives: Analysts noted that new growth initiatives, such as hotels and sponsored listings, will contribute to accelerating room nights growth and margin expansion, particularly driven by stronger merchandising in New York City and AI search capabilities.
- Price Target Increase: Wells Fargo raised its price target for Airbnb from $136 to $178, based on a 25X multiple of the 2028 EPS estimate, reflecting confidence in the company's future growth trajectory.
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- Accelerated Innovation: Analyst Ken Gawrelski noted that Airbnb is at a significant business inflection point, expecting a shift from two years of decelerating growth and margin compression to accelerating growth and expanding margins from 2026 to 2028.
- Service Diversification: The company aims to add more hotel listings to its platform while integrating ride and excursion-booking services to revitalize its lagging stock performance, demonstrating a keen response to market demands.
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- Shareholder Return Strategy: Airbnb repurchased $3.8 billion worth of shares in 2025, reducing its share count by 6%, which enhances shareholder equity, while projecting revenue growth of 14% to 16% in 2026, indicating a promising investment outlook.
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- Shareholder Return Strategy: In 2025, Airbnb repurchased $3.8 billion worth of shares, reducing the share count by 6%, which enhances shareholder ownership, while projecting revenue growth of 14% to 16% in 2026, showcasing strong future growth potential.
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Airbnb Share Sale: Officer Blecharczyk Nathan plans to sell 196,160 shares of Airbnb's common stock on April 21, with a total market value of approximately $28.44 million.
Reduction in Holdings: Since January 30, 2026, Nathan has reduced his shareholding in Airbnb by 73,488 shares, valued at around $9.49 million.
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