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Protests cause Airbnb to delay post-coronavirus travel update
Reading Time: < 1 minuteUS: Airbnb has put a hold on its announcement of plans for post-coronavirus due to the eruption of protests across the US. Protests arose in the wake of the death of George Floyd, a black Minneapolis native, who lost his life due to actions by a white police officer. Airbnb has been making plans for […]
Vacasa secures $108m Series D round led by Silver Lake
Reading Time: 2 minutesUS: Vacation rental management platform Vacasa has announced a $108 million strategic investment round. The financing was led by existing investor Silver Lake with participation from other existing investors including Riverwood Capital and Level Equity. Silver Lake previously invested in Vacasa last October in a $319 million strategic investment round, with participation from the same […]
Airbnb chief ethics officer departs
Reading Time: < 1 minuteUS: Airbnb has parted ways with its chief ethics officer and former general counsel Robert Chesnut. Chesnut, who joined Airbnb as its in-house legal chief in April 2016, left the company on May 27. “I’ll wake up tomorrow without a full time ‘day job’ for the first time since law school,” Chesnut wrote on his […]
Airbnb launches #GetBehindTheMask campaign
Reading Time: 2 minutesSouth Africa: Airbnb has launched its #GetBehindTheMask campaign in South Africa, which is being led by hosts to support the communities in the country that have been most hard hit by the Covid-19 virus. The government-backed campaign is in partnership with Western Cape Government’s Maskathon and Afriks Tikkun, taking the lead from Airbnb’s Online Experiences […]
Airbnb has awarded $7.4m in grants to Superhosts to date
Reading Time: 2 minutesUS: Airbnb has announced that, as a part of their plan to help support hosts during the global crisis, they have awarded $7.4 million worth of grants to various Superhosts. The company is currently reviewing applications to award the remainder of the $17 million available to be distributed. Airbnb unveiled its Superhost grant fund as […]
My take on Chesky: Handling of layoffs proves empathy belongs anywhere
Reading Time: 11 minutesUS: Three months ago, Airbnb had more than three million hosts and seven million listings worldwide. CEO and co-founder, Brian Chesky, stood on the cusp of taking the company public. The San Francisco-based startup that launched in 2008 as a “couch surfing” letting service [AirBed and Breakfast] has since expanded into a travel behemoth that […]
Vacation rental domestic bookings resurge in New Zealand
Reading Time: 2 minutesNew Zealand: Data from Airbnb suggests that New Zealand has seen a resurgence in short-term rental bookings this month. Between 9-16 May, domestic bookings through the site saw a sharp rise on previous weeks as the country moved into the second week of Level 2 restrictions which are starting to permit some domestic travel. Airbnb […]
Airbnb to offer virtual Experiences for people with accessibility needs
Reading Time: 2 minutesUS: Airbnb is growing out its Experiences program once again by launching 20 new virtual activities aimed at those members of its guest community who have accessibility needs. The newly-launched 20 activities, ranging in cost from $9 to $40 per person, are not solely aimed at people who have disabilities themselves but are also aiming […]
Leisure and tourism brands predicted to lose 20 per cent of cumulative value
Reading Time: 2 minutesWorldwide: Independent branded business valuation consultancy Brand Finance has simultaneously released its Brand Finance Leisure & Tourism 10 2020 ranking and Hotels 50 2020 report, in which it says brands could lose up to 20 per cent of their cumulative value as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the first ranking, Brand Finance ranked […]
Airbnb trials virtual date experiences with Bumble
Reading Time: 3 minutesUS: Airbnb is trialling virtual first date experiences approved by dating app Bumble as part of a new partnership to stay relevant during the Covid-19 crisis. Due to the lockdown on travel and enforcement of social distancing measures as a result of the pandemic, virtual dates have emerged as a prevalent trend for users who […]