Washington, United States | AFP | “Sharing economy” firms like Uber and Airbnb were seeing surging growth and predictions they would reshape several economic sectors. Then the pandemic hit. These companies are now bleeding more cash than ever, shedding workers and scaling back expectations for profitability amid heightened uncertainty about consumer trends …
Read More »Pandemic a major blow for Airbnb
Athens, Greece | AFP | At the foot of the Acropolis hill, in the touristic Koukaki district, the coronavirus lockdown has silenced the sound of Airbnb customers’ wheeled luggage. The tourist industry in Athens, as in many other European capitals, has ground to a halt, with planes grounded and restaurants, museums and archaeological …
Read More »Airbnb rentals boom across Africa
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Rent-a-room giant Airbnb said Tuesday that it had provided accommodation for 1.2 million visitors to Africa over the last year — double the previous year as tourism expands across the continent. The website now offers more than 100,000 accommodation options in Africa, global public affairs …
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