Airbnb hosts in war-torn Ukraine have seen an increase in online bookings by guests who do not intend to come but want to show their support.
According to a Wall Street Journal article, a social media campaign launched on March 2 has resulted in thousands of arrests across the country, even as Russian forces indiscriminately bomb civilian neighborhoods in cities such as Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Mariupol and the Sumi.
The goal is to get the money into the hands of the Ukrainians as soon as possible, said Rob Meehan, host of Airbnb real estate in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, who participated in the effort.
As the host himself, Mr. Meehan said he knew the owners would be paid within a day of arrival. Airbnb stated that the payment will be released 24 hours after the specified check-in time of the property, regardless of whether the guest appears.
He sent a message to the host informing him that his detention was an act of solidarity and that he had no intention of appearing. She responded a few minutes later, thanking him for his support.
The campaign gained momentum when Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky retweeted one of the original messages.
You want to support people in Ukraine? Go to your airBnB and book a week or weekend in one of the cities. Or towns and donate the room. Take the middle man out of your donation. We just did. #Ukraine #peace #BookUkraine #lviv 🇺🇦@Ukraine pic.twitter.com/OdXr0ceg24
– Rob Bujan (@RobBujan) March 4, 2022
Airbnb had set up its own initiative to provide temporary accommodation to up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine through Airbnb.org, the company’s non-profit arm. Airbnb has also suspended all operations in Russia and Belarus.
By the end of Thursday, visitors from the US had booked 34,000 overnight stays in Ukraine, according to figures released by Airbnb on Friday. Visitors from the UK booked 8,000 overnight stays and Canadian visitors booked almost 3,000.
The company said it had waived all service charges for bookings made in Ukraine in response to the “inspired generosity” of the campaign.
For UK-based travel agent Graham Bishop Macrides, the fee exemption was a major factor in his decision to book in Ukraine.
Source: Capital
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