How Priceline’s Booking.com Plans to Move Onto Airbnb’s Turf

A long-simmering battle between Airbnb and Priceline’s Booking.com, the two most popular travel accommodation apps in the world, is about to explode.

In an interview with The Information, Booking.com CEO Gillian Tans said the firm, which specializes in hotel listings, is determined this year to become more of a force in short-term home and apartment rentals in the U.S. That market, popularized by Airbnb and Expedia’s HomeAway, has become the fastest-growing part of the travel lodgings market. But it’s one that Booking.com has, until recently, been slow to move into.