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Airbnb suspends Beijing check-ins due to coronavirus
Reading Time: 2 minutesChina: Airbnb is suspending check-ins in the Chinese capital of Beijing until at least March due to concerns over the coronavirus threat. UPDATE: Reuters reports that these delays have been extended until May. This, according to the company, is to comply with city regulations responding to the disease. Airbnb is offering refunds to any and […]
Airbnb asserts Chinese presence with hirings push
Reading Time: 2 minutesChina: As Airbnb asserts its presence across the hotel and leisure accommodation industry globally, it is making rapid progress on the hiring front in China to break through its competitive domestic market. James Mattone from Thinknum Media reported on China Daily reporter Fan Feifei’s article in the State Information Center, in which Feifei predicted that the […]
Tujia exceeds 1.4m global listings ahead of IPO
Reading Time: 2 minutesChina: Chinese home-sharing platform Tujia has announced it has exceeded 1.4 million global listings and expects to break even in the second half of this year, according to 36Kr. The news comes as it is being rumoured that Tujia will go in for an initial public offering, perhaps as early as this year. The company, […]
China’s Xiaozhu planning to adopt facial recognition in Chengdu
Reading Time: < 1 minuteChina: The Chinese version of Airbnb, Xiaozhu, is set to start using facial recognition to deliver more secure access to its guests and properties. The China-based home-sharing company is planning to add facial recognition-enabled door locks to 80 per cent of its listings in the central city of Chengdu, according to Quartz. Chengdu serves as […]
China Airbnb rival Xiaozhu reveals funding of nearly $300 million led by Jack Ma
Reading Time: < 1 minuteChina: Chinese short-term rental firm Xiaozhu.com has revealed it has raised almost $300 million in a funding round led by Jack Ma’s Yunfeng Capital, amid competition from Airbnb and Tujia.com. The company did not disclose its new valuation but said it was worth more than $1 billion last November after clinching a $120 million round, […]
Airbnb’s Chinese rival in talks to raise over $200 million in funding
Reading Time: 2 minutesChina: One of Airbnb’s biggest Chinese rivals is in talks with Singapore’s wealth fund to secure $200 million in funding to take on the American vacation rental platform. Beijing-based Xiaozhu.com, who were reportedly almost acquired by Airbnb in 2016, lets its users rent out homes and apartments across China and it is now targeting the […]