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Airbnb hosts suspended for “fatphobic” weight ban
Reading Time: 2 minutesUK: Owners of a Kent cottage have had their Airbnb listing suspended after users criticised “fatphobic” and discriminatory rules. The listing had prevented anyone with a weight of over 100 kilograms [220 pounds] from renting the property. Hosts Zsu and Marcus, owners of the cottage Bobbit’s Lair, initially forbade anyone above the weight limit from […]
Opinion: My thoughts on Airbnb’s IPO
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWorldwide: ShortTermRentalz editor Paul Stevens assesses the potential success of Airbnb‘s IPO and why investors should be encouraged by the company’s ability to operate on a profit.
Visa and Airbnb announce women-led MSBs programme
Reading Time: 2 minutesChina: Visa and Airbnb announced their cooperation on a programme supporting women-led micro and small businesses (MSBs). The Beijing 2022 and Women Programme, initiated by Visa, hopes to improve the country’s internal capabilities in the run up to the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Airbnb has created the Airbnb Rural Empowerment Toolkits for the […]
Airbnb turns down SPAC merger with billionaire investor Ackman
Reading Time: 2 minutesUS: It has been revealed that Airbnb turned down the offer of a merger with a blank-cheque / special purpose acquisition company [SPAC] owned by billionaire investor Bill Ackman as it preferred to go down the traditional initial public offering [IPO] route. Bloomberg reported the news, following the announcement in August that the home-sharing platform […]
Airbnb enhanced cleaning protocol reaches 1.2m listings
Reading Time: 2 minutesWorldwide: Airbnb announced that 1.2 million listings worldwide have passed its enhanced cleaning protocol. The company introduced the new standard in response to the global pandemic in April, based on recommendations from the US. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Airbnb’s enhanced cleaning programme provides a series of instructions for hosts to better clean […]
Airbnb US adult user base forecast to drop 60 per cent in 2020
Reading Time: 2 minutesUS: According to the latest forecasts by market research company eMarketer, Airbnb usage in the United States in 2020 is expected to drop by 60 per cent on 2019 levels. However, in a more optimistic outlook for the home-sharing platform, its usage is anticipated to recover to near-pre-pandemic levels by the second half of the […]
Toronto to usher in series of short-term rental reforms
Reading Time: 3 minutesCanada: Toronto is to introduce a new set of short-term rental reforms, which will affect hosts and operators listing their properties on online travel agencies such as Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia in the city. Effective from 10 September 2020, the OTAs will be required to obtain a specific licence to be able to continue operating […]
Airbnb partners with VisitScotland to promote staycations
Reading Time: 2 minutesUK: Airbnb has announced a promotional collaboration with VisitScotland to help shine a light on lesser known Scottish destinations. The companies will promote stays and experiences in Dumfries and Galloway, Ayrshire, Moray, Angus and Dundee, to improve their awareness for Scottish staycations. The promotion showcases a full array of Scottish destinations, including seaside, countryside and […]
Agoda re-introduced into Google vacation rental product lineup
Reading Time: 2 minutesWorldwide: Google’s vacation rental product now includes listings from Booking Holdings brand Agoda, while Airbnb is, intriguingly, absent from the search engine’s feature lineup. As the tech company continues the strengthening of its vacation rental offering with Google Vacation Rentals [or Holiday Rentals outside of the USA], which includes listings and reviews for property management […]
Airbnb removes 50 Los Angeles listings from its platform
Reading Time: 2 minutesUS: Airbnb has confirmed it has suspended or removed more than 50 property listings based in Los Angeles County from its platform with immediate effect, a week after issuing a global ban on parties in its properties and capping guests that can occupy one at 16 people. The affected properties have been sanctioned for […]