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As countries begin to vaccinate their populations, businesses will begin to reopen. With those re-openings, and the jobs that will be restored in their wake, the economy will gradually begin to make up lost ground. As workers are rehired and incomes begin to grow, so too will consumer confidence. And both mass vaccinations and rising consumer confidence will also allow us to begin to venture out again and be social once again, which ill provided ballast to the ailing hospitality, outdoor recreation, travel, and restaurant sectors. Some businesses are better positioned to take advantage of these expected developments than others. If you’re looking to invest in stocks sure to surge when the economy reopens, look no further than these five stocks. Expedia The biggest company in travel-related search and bookings, Expedia’s stock should grow nicely as consumers begin to travel more frequently. The company owns large players in the online booking space like Orbitz, Travelocity, and...
School may be virtual for the little ones but that does not mean that field trips can’t happen. Teen activist, #1000BlackGirlBooks founder, and executive producer of Netflix’s “Bookmarks,” Marley Dias, is set to host online experiences with Airbnb this Fall to allow children to still experience field trips despite the circumstances of COVID-19. The 15-year-old is joining forces with TV science teacher Bill Nye, and actor and director Olivia Wilde to headline the vacation rental company’s new collection of Online Experiences. The virtual field trips have been designed to help parents broaden their kids’ horizons with the help of passionate, expert hosts. We’re talking Japanese samurais, dinosaur fossil adventures, and more out of this world experiences for both children and parents to engage in. According to Airbnb , a new study of parents shows that extracurricular activities for their children are down 30 percent for those who typically take part in one structured activity during...
The Coronavirus has caused many companies and major organizations to cancel events and shut down operations in efforts to contain the outbreak. As many decide to self-quarantine and avoid travel, Airbnb and its hosts are feeling the effects in the form of decreased booking. According to CNN , the short-term booking company is now expanding its extenuating circumstances policy and offering customers a penalty-free cancellation option for those who choose to cancel their stay. The penalty-free cancelation policy guarantees a refund on canceled bookings. Airbnb gives its hosts the ability to choose one of six cancellation policies. However, the company holds veto power via its extenuating circumstances policy, which now includes COVID-19 related cancellations. Under these new guidelines, customers may cancel their booking and request a refund within 14 days of the cancellation. Hosts and guests have the option to cancel without facing a penalty for bookings made before March 14 that...
Airbnb is now making it even easier for its members to open their homes to guests all over the United States. Last week, the short-term rental company announced its plans to partner with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) to create more jobs for union members and leverage its impact. As one of North America’s largest building trade unions serving more than 500,000 members, UBC boasts a cadre of talented construction experts who are skilled in carpentry, interior systems, flooring, millwork, and more. Under the agreement, Airbnb investment in real estate development projects will allow for the hiring of UBC contractors to perform the labor associated with those projects. The Airbnb partnership will enable union workers to use their expertise to assist Airbnb hosts with vital repairs and upgrades that facilitate home readiness for short-term rental. Airbnb Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer Nathan Blecharczyk praised the company’s first domestic union...
In response to a data leak that revealed the identities and messaging history of white supremacists, Airbnb has decided to ban such users from its site. Airbnb’s security systems recently identified 60-plus account holders from Iron March , a far-right, white supremacist site. Their accounts were deleted in accordance with Airbnb’s zero-tolerance policy. A spokesperson for the short-term rental giant labeled the step a “no-brainer,” reiterating Airbnb’s commitment to “ continuously seeking to proactively identify those who could put our hosts and guests at risk .” Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has previously stood in staunch opposition to white supremacy. “The violence, racism and hatred demonstrated by neo-Nazis, the alt-right, and white supremacists should have no place in this world,” Chesky said in a statement according to The Verge in 2017. Airbnb’s Community Commitment — a nondiscrimination policy that promotes for inclusiveness — was updated in 2016 to ensure fairness to all users.
Since arriving on the scene, Airbnb has become a household name. From retirees to millennials, individuals have been offering and booking their spare bedrooms, basements, and converted garages. Now, it seems as though the site’s flexibility comes with the cost of controversy that is almost inherent in most highly disruptive startups. For Airbnb, these quarrels have ranged from its hand in perhaps an unintended consequence of increasing housing prices to skirting local rental and lodging laws. Now, contractors are now being paid to essentially dox Airbnb addresses, according to a Motherboard report , to the extent that it has become sort of a sub-industry of its own. Airbnb offers its hosts privacy by not giving people an address until a property has been booked. By using readily available sources like Google Maps, Zillow, White Pages, and Facebook, contractors are finding and revealing the exact addresses of Airbnb listings. Then, they’re sharing that information with local...