As coronavirus panic continues to reach fever pitch, some savvy Airbnb hosts in the US have started to advertise their homes as ‘coronavirus-free’ in a bid to entice visitors to stay there.
While the global travel industry has taken a hit amid the Covid-19 outbreak, Business Insider reports there has been a rise in listings across the States advertising its relative isolation as being coronavirus-free.
One cabin, in Colorado’s White River Valley, has changed the name of its listing to: “Escape Coronavirus! We have Toilet Paper!!” Another, in upstate New York, reads: “Luxury Woodstock 5BR Coronavirus-Free Retreat.”
Another in Vietnam has lowered its prices by 47 per cent in a bid to secure bookings, while another in Prague is advertising its £29-per-night room as coronavirus free.
These listings come after Airbnb introduced an ‘extenuating circumstances policy’ for guests travelling to or from affected areas, hosts welcoming guests from affected areas and those who can’t complete their trip due to travel restrictions. Under the new policy, guests can receive a full refund and hosts won’t incur any cancellation fees.
Airbnb said in a statement: “If your trip is covered by the policy, you will have the option to cancel your homes reservation or Airbnb Experience without charge. If you’re travelling from or hosting in a severely impacted area and we can recognise your location and reservation details as outlined below, you may be notified that your reservation automatically qualifies on the reservation details page.”
Airbnb is just the latest travel company to introduce new policies in the wake of coronavirus. Airlines like Virgin, Emirates and Lufthansa have introduced date change fee waivers for those booking flights, and British Airways has dropped the price of its London to New York route down to £245 return – perfect for if you want to hole up in this coronavirus-free listing with views of the Empire State Building.
