Airbnb, which has traditionally provided only accommodation, announced last week the launch of Airbnb Trips, offering around 500 experiences in 12 cities.

It will initially focus on three key sections – Experiences, Places and Homes, with Flights and Services to be added in the future.

The move follows a recent tie-up with Lufthansa, which saw the company selling flights for a one-off period July and August, as reported by TTG.

A spokesperson for Airbnb told TTG there was “no additional information” it could share on Flights, “as that development is way in the future”.

However the firm said: “Airbnb’s vision is to ultimately cater for every aspect of a trip”.

Brian Chesky, chief executive, added: “Trips is bringing together where you stay, what you do, and the people you meet all in one place... we want to put people back at the heart of every trip.”

Industry experts reacted warily to the news. Gary Lewis, chief executive of The Travel Network Group, said that while Airbnb had undoubtedly had a “big impact” on consumers, its latest announcement raised questions about consumer protection.

“If they are now starting to bring more elements of the travel experience together, such as flights and other services, I feel they will need to play by the same rules as we all do, offering consumers the same level of protection and abiding by the conditions of the Package Travel Directive,” he told TTG.

An Abta spokesperson said the association “fully supported diversity and choice in the market”, but added: “Customers have certain expectations and rights regarding travel accommodation and other services, irrespective of how those arrangements are purchased.

“We believe that new distribution models such as peer-to-peer accommodation should be held to the same standards as traditional models.

“Both the industry and holidaymakers should be assured that any commercial enterprise is properly monitored and regulated.”

Meanwhile, Alex Bainbridge, industry commentator and founder of tour operator reservation system TourCMS, said: “They [Airbnb] have mentioned flights, and that – at least in the EU when sold with accommodation – introduces interesting protection issues.

“Who exactly is selling the accommodation right now – is Airbnb an introducer and the sale is person-to-person, or does the consumer buy from Airbnb?”

There were also suggestions that Airbnb may be forced to apply for an Atol once it introduces its flight offering.

A CAA spokesperson said: “Tour operators which make available flight accommodation [flight and accommodation sold as a package or flight plus] in the UK, other than those which are based in another EU country, must comply with the Atol regulations.”