Airbnb to promote sustainable tourism
Airbnb Inc, a United States-based home-sharing service provider, has inked a partnership with Friends of Nature, a prominent NGO focusing on environmental protection issues, to promote sustainable tourism in China.
The partners will promote sustainable travel in China and for Chinese travelers, jointly consult, advise, educate and operate sustainable short-term stays, host a series of lectures to educate the Airbnb community on sustainable tourism as well as conduct workshops for hosts on sustainable hospitality standards and practices.
“We are committed to a healthy and sustainable alternative to mass travel that helps local communities benefit from the growth of tourism,” said Liz Jarvis-Shean, Airbnb’s global head of public affairs.
An Li, vice-president of Airbnb China, said: “As tourism continues to grow in China, Airbnb is offering travelers an environmentally friendly way to experience local communities. The environmental benefits of home sharing are clear and we look forward to working with partners like Friends of Nature to support sustainable travel.”
Moreover, the company also published a green travel report, which shows 63 percent of hosts have reduced the consumption of disposable plastic products, while 59 percent are encouraging guests to use public transportation by offering transportation cards and guidance on public transport options.
In addition, 94 percent of hosts are incorporating green practices into hosting, and 45 percent provide environmentally friendly cleaning products.
To better serve the community and promote sustainable tourism, Airbnb has also launched the Airbnb Host Recommended Cafes, a pilot program for guests and hosts that will utilize shared spaces for guests and hosts to learn about sustainability issues and the environmental bene- fits of short-term letting.
Since its launch in 2008, more than 300 million guests have stayed at Airbnb listings around the world, and there are now nearly 5 million homes listed on Airbnb’s platform. From the beginning, the industry has shown its potential as a more sustainable option for travel.
Through partnerships, programs and events, Airbnb will enhance its efforts to build on this momentum and further support environmentally friendly travel in China.
Airbnb also announced the winners of the second annual Belo Awards, a prize celebrating and recognizing excellence in hosts and showcasing their stories to influence the wider community.
Founded in August 2008 and based in San Francisco, Airbnb is a major player in the international sharing economy. Nathan Blecharczyk, chairman of Airbnb China, said in an earlier interview with China Daily that the domestic market has been the company’s fastest growing market around the world, and the country is also Airbnb’s second fastest growing outbound market.
The company will open operations in several key cities and regions in 2018, with China projected to be the largest tourist source country for Airbnb by 2020.