How the Coronavirus Impacts Airbnb Hosts (Part I)
Summary
This article, published in March 2020, discusses the impact of the Coronavirus on Airbnb hosts. It covers market impacts (China, South Korea, Japan, Italy, and parts of the US), Airbnb's extenuating circumstances policy, and strategies for hosts to navigate decreased bookings and potential exposure concerns, including offering discounts and emphasizing cleaning protocols.
Key Insights
- •The markets most impacted by the Coronavirus at the time of the article were China, South Korea, Japan, Italy (entire country on lockdown), NY, LA and west coast of US.
- •Airbnb's extenuating circumstances policy offers full refunds for guests within guidelines, but hosts can also cancel guests from affected areas.
Action Items
- ✓Set cancellation policy to flexible.Effort: lowImpact: medium
- ✓List on additional channels.Effort: mediumImpact: medium
- ✓Offer guests the option to change travel dates.Effort: lowImpact: medium
- ✓Offer self check-in and ask about recent travel history.Effort: lowImpact: medium
- ✓Up your game when it comes to cleaning.Effort: mediumImpact: high
- ✓Offer discounts to get more bookings.Effort: lowImpact: medium
Tools & Resources
- →Worldometer: Coronavirus on Worldometer.
- →Airbnb Extenuating Circumstances Policy: Airbnb’s Extenuating Circumstances Policy.
- →Airbnb Profit Club: Airbnb Profit Club on Facebook.
Watch Out For
- ⚠Don't panic and cancel reservations outside policy.
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