statement from Airbnb
As a global platform operating in 191 countries and regions and more than 81,000 cities, we must consider the impact we have and act responsibly. Accordingly, we have developed a framework for evaluating how we should treat listings in disputed territories, including territories some consider occupied where homes — the core of our business — are central to ongoing tensions.
Pursuant to application of the company’s global framework for disputed territories, Airbnb had concerns that because homes — the core of the Airbnb business — are a central element of the dispute among stakeholders in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Airbnb’s listings could be implicated in ongoing tensions. In applying the global framework to these disputed territories, Airbnb determined that the existence of the listings in these disputed territories has a direct connection to the larger conflict in the region.
To date we have applied our decision-making framework and concluded that we will remove listings in:
- South Ossetia
- Abkhazia
- Settlements in the West Bank
We continue to review other areas of the world that are the subject of disputes and will provide updates as appropriate."
