上周三，從事個人對個人（P2P）租房業(yè)務(wù)的初創(chuàng)公司Airbnb發(fā)布了在中國市場的新品牌名：“愛彼迎”，寓意“讓愛彼此相迎”。

重新命名是Airbnb擴大在華影響力的一步棋，Airbnb還宣布將啟動旅行平臺Trips，為中國本土旅游體驗添磚加瓦。（該平臺已推出一些文化活動，包括上海本地昆曲的主題游。）

和硅谷其他許多公司一樣，Airbnb著眼中國，尋求巨大的商機。但事實證明，中國是西方科技業(yè)初創(chuàng)公司——“獨角獸”難以攻克的市場。雖然不必處理棘手的審查問題，但Airbnb在中國必須面對本土企業(yè)的競爭，其中包括途家網(wǎng)和小豬網(wǎng)這樣頗有實力的短租平臺。此前在遭遇中國同行滴滴出行挑戰(zhàn)時，美國共享租車服務(wù)商優(yōu)步就選擇了退出。從這個業(yè)界周知的例子可以看出，中國的對手不容小覷。

盡管如此，Airbnb仍希望這次重新命名會搏得中國游客、特別是80、90后的青睞，加快在華開拓步伐。迄今為止，已有超過530萬中國游客通過Airbnb訂房間、公寓或者房屋，該平臺目前提供約8萬個國內(nèi)房源。Airbnb還透露，去年該司服務(wù)的中國出境游客增長了142%。

Airbnb的首席執(zhí)行官布萊恩?切斯基在聲明中表示：“中國年輕一代的旅行者看世界的角度不同以往。”

Airbnb表示，為支持挺進中國市場，公司在中國本土的員工將從60人增加到180多人，今年對華投資也將翻倍。（財富中文網(wǎng)）

作者：Laura Entis

譯者：Pessy

審稿：夏林

On Wednesday, the peer-to-peer room rentals startup unveiled a new brand name to be used in the country: ‘Aibiying’ (愛彼迎), which means “welcome each other with love.”

The re-naming is part of a larger effort by the company to expand its visibility and presence in China. Airbnb also announced it is launching Trips, a feature that offers suggestions for local experiences, in the country. (Cultural activities such as a detailed tour of Shanghai’s Kun Opera are already available on the platform.)

Like pretty much everyone else in Silicon Valley, Airbnb looks at China and sees a huge opportunity. But the country has proven a tricky market for Western unicorns to conquer. While Airbnb doesn’t have to contend with thorny

censorship issues, it does have to face off against domestic rivals, an established group that includes powerhouses Tujia and Xiaozhu.com. As we’ve seen with Uber, which famously blinked when challenged by local ride-sharing service Didi Chuxing, Chinese competitors shouldn’t be underestimated.

Still, Airbnb is hoping the rebranding will resonate with Chinese travelers, particularly millennials, and accelerate the company’s growth in the country. To date, more than 5.3 million Chinese travelers have booked a room, apartment, or house through Airbnb's platform, which also has more than 80,000 domestic listings. Meanwhile, outbound travel from China grew by 142% last year, according to the company.

“There’s a whole new generation of Chinese travelers who want to see the world in a different way,” CEO Brian Chesky said in a statement.

To support its push into China, Airbnb said it will increase its local workforce from 60 employees to more 180, and double its investment in the market this year.