- Airbnb hosts are advertising "coronavirus-free" stays in an effort to attract anxious travelers as the coronavirus outbreak grows in the US.
- Listings everywhere from Colorado to Ohio are boasting COVID-19-free getaways, with some noting that they are stocked with essentials like toilet paper, food, and water.
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As fear mounts over spread of the coronavirus - wreaking havoc on the stock market and looming over the international tourism industry - savvy Airbnb hosts are looking to lure travelers with "COVID-19 free" stays.
Though concern surrounding global travel remains rampant, on Airbnb there has been a rise of listings everywhere from New York City to Cincinnati advertising rentals as a respite from the global epidemic. "Escape coronavirus! We have toilet paper!" reads a rental posting in Meeker, Colorado. "Coronavirus-free retreat" states another for a luxury stay in Woodstock, New York.
The listings come on the heels of Airbnb adding an "extenuating circumstances policy" regarding cancellations in the face of the coronavirus. The updated policy grants full refunds to guests with bookings in regions severely impacted by the outbreak, including mainland China, Italy, and South Korea.
"If your trip is covered by the policy, you will have the option to cancel your homes reservation or Airbnb Experience without charge," the policy states. "If you're traveling from or hosting in a severely impacted area and we can recognize your location and reservation details as outlined below, you may be notified that your reservation automatically qualifies on the reservation details page."
Airbnb declined Business Insider's request to comment on hosts using "coronavirus-free" as a ploy to advertise stays. A company spokesperson also said the company did not have anything to share when asked whether it is seeing an uptick in rentals in more remote locations in the US.
The concern isn't stopping some travelers from booking trips, nor hosts from using the panic to profit. Here were some of the notable Airbnb postings we found:
Axel Springer, Insider Inc.'s parent company, is an investor in Airbnb.