SEOUL: Airbnb Inc. was announced Wednesday as an Official Supporter for Online Accommodation Marketing Services for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 to handle the influx of visitors amid growing concerns over lack of rooms and high prices in the host city.
Under the deal, the online travel accommodation company will promote Gangwon tourist attractions on their website and mobile app, and also showcase alternative accommodation options in the region for spectators coming to enjoy the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, which will run from February 9 to 25.
Earlier in January, Airbnb signed a separate agreement with Gangwon Province, where PyeongChang is located, to provide lodging and promotional support for the upcoming Olympic Games.
The number of Airbnb accommodations in the area increased 30 per cent in six months from 1,650 in December last year to 2,134 in June, the company said.
Chris Lehane, Airbnb head of Global Policy and Public Affairs, said, “With the eyes of the world focused on PyeongChang, our community is stepping up and providing guests with unique and local travel experiences. We want to work together with more cities to democratise the benefits of big events and extend their benefits to regular people who share their homes to help make ends meet.”
During the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, 48,000 Airbnb listings housed 85,000, or 17 per cent, of the city’s estimated 500,000 visitors, according to the company.
Airbnb was founded in the US in 2008 and now has more than 3,000,000 listings. It has quickly become a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodation around the world.
