Hundreds of internet users have taken the initiative over the past few days to book Airbnb accommodation in Ukraine to send money directly to Ukrainians.
According to what the “Guardian” reported, a first couple made a reservation from March 3 to March 10 in Kyiv, posted a confirmation on Twitter and wrote: “Hello Maria, my wife and I have just booked your apartment for a week, but of course we won’t be visiting you. It’s just so you can receive money.
The lady then thanked him for his gesture.
Several people followed a few hours later. Some have also called on Airbnb to lower its service fees, which typically range from 3% to 15%, so that Ukrainian hosts receive all the benefits. An Airbnb spokesperson told the English newspaper that it would remove fees in the country. “We appreciate the generosity of our community at this time of crisis,” she said. “Airbnb is also waiving all guest and host fees on all bookings in Ukraine at this time.”
The San Francisco-based company has already taken action to help Ukrainians, announcing on Monday that it would offer free short-term accommodation to up to 100,000 residents who fled the Russian invasion. Stays will be funded by the company, donors to an Airbnb refugee fund, and hosts.
“The greatest need we have is for more people to be able to offer their accommodation in neighboring countries, including Poland, Germany, Hungary and Romania,” the Airbnb owner said on Twitter. Brian Chesky.
To date, nearly 1 million people have fled Ukraine to surrounding European countries, according to the UN.
Reference-www.journaldemontreal.com