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Airbnb is set to start housing 20 000 Afghan refugees around the world.
CEO Brian Chesky has confirmed the company itself will foot the bill for the temporary stays – which will be organised by nonprofit division Airbnb.org alongside partner and aid organisations – and they are being rolled out starting this week.
He tweeted: “Starting today, Airbnb will begin housing 20 000 Afghan refugees globally for free.”
And he has urged people who are willing to host a family to do what they can, while encouraging business leaders to show their support too after Taliban forces took control of Afghanistan earlier this month.
He wrote in a blog post: “As tens of thousands of Afghan refugees resettle around the world, where they stay will be the first chapter in their new lives.
“For these 20 000 refugees, my hope is that the Airbnb community will provide them with not only a safe place to rest and start over, but also a warm welcome home.”
Meanwhile, according to new data, new Airbnb Hosts in the US, who welcomed their first guests in the first six months of 2021 and have only one listing, have collectively made millions of dollars hosting on Airbnb.
“ These incredible numbers highlight both that people are taking advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime travel rebound by trying their hand at hosting on Airbnb and that there remains a large opportunity to make a significant amount of money hosting on Airbnb. Half of new listings that were both activated and booked in early 2021 got a reservation request within four days, and the average annual earnings per Host who had welcomed at least one guest was $9,600,” it said in a statement.
