The end of Airbnb as we know it?

[Kath9]

Here's an interesting article i just came across: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/airbnb-coronavirus-losses

It states that 60% (!!!) of Airbnb hosts have MORE than TWO OTHER listings and argues that Airbnb has become nothing more than a hotel chain. Sadly, I have to agree. As many hosts in this forum know, I have long lamented the transition from the original spirit of Airbnb (staying with locals in their homes) to the rise of the professional host with multiple listings. I take issue with many aspects of this, primarily the housing shortage it has created worldwide, and have long been dismayed at Airbnb's unwillingness to regulate this. The hosts who are now in deep trouble and calling for legal action are mainly those who have multiple listings and have made Airbnb their primary source of income.

If Airbnb manages to survive this crisis, it is my sincere hope that it goes back to its core values and becomes a true home-sharing platform once again. 

[Robin4]

@Fred13  @Sarah977  @Melodie-And-John0 

Hey, there is a sense of resignation in your posts, don't sell yourselves short, you are all making a difference, every day. That empire building we once all aspired to might be a memory, but not a day goes by when you don't help someone here @Sarah977. You do not have the most up-votes here on the CC by some quirk of fate....by some accident. You gained those thumbs-up  because you helped someone!

Every post you come out with is inspirational John, you bring a level of sanity to each conversation you involve yourself in here. And I am sure that follows you through into other parts of your life. With age comes perspective, reason and a sense of order. Your wick burns brighter than it ever has John! 

@Fred13 I worry about you though, you did miss your calling! You would have made a great crime novelist! Do you remember our scenario regarding Ralph and Ruth and a few others who, as a group, had a massive falling out in their personal lives because the world had moved on in the 18 months between the time they booked their stay at Bird Island and the first available time the stay could to take place.  Babies were born, partners swapped, I think there was even a murder in there somewhere!

There is nothing beyond your control Fred, anyone who can work on a 10 inch plank 8 ft in the air should even be able to control the coronavirus! 

I hate that I am getting older but, inside.....in here, I am still 25, the dreams have mellowed a bit but, I don't like anything to beat me. When I go out for a bike ride, I will not concede that I cannot go as far as I did yesterday, last year. 

We don't want to talk ourselves into tip toeing safely through what is left of our lives in order to make it safely to death. I have at last got my pilots licence and I am going motorkite (ultralite) flying!

Airbnb might be on it's last legs, but none of us are.....I am sure of that! Stay positive guys!

Cheers.....Rob  

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Robin4 , Thank you Rob for those kind words, those and more also apply to you and your obvious dedication to your ladies, Pup, guests, environment, Nation and our planet. 

One of my Company commanders (Col Dealey) many moons ago had some incredible quotes I've carried with me for what now seems like forever, one of them was "When Everything is most important, nothing is" which was his way of say Sgt Robinson, Prioritize and get it done!    We do what we can don't we and hopefully don't sweat the petty Shnitz much.  Life is truly better than a reality TV show if not a little less exciting, we just gotta try to keep it real whenever possible and appreciate the small things as well as the large.  Stay well Kind Sir, JR

[Fred13]

Good discussion. I been fighting 'windmills' all my life, I got thrown out Catholic school (Seton Hall) for constantly fighting bullies, almost got court marshaled for standing up for some mild-manner fellow G.I against a deranged officer in South Korea, and even spend two years for the protection of a hunted bird (Mearn's quails,@2000) in Arizona, talking about fighting City Hall and its politics; their special protection  still stands 20 years later.  The worse of it is that I wish I knew less about the disappointment of human history and had less of a memory of, which is a gift and a curse. Nowadays, I contribute more toward others immediately around me.  Time now has become the most precious commodity and I try to spend each day as happy and cheerful as I can; my glass for some strange reason is still stuck on half full.

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Fred13 , Back when I knew everything (I think I was about 19 at that point) I had a brush with Courts Martial in Germany while sticking my neck out for someone that failed to take out the garbage on their day off, we won but that was a little close of a shave for my liking, Leavenworth was better off without me or visa versa!    No Doubt, I paddled up poo creek and battled demons at least twice my size much more as a younger man and find it best to pick my battles more carefully now now that Ive used up 16 of my nine lives ( I also find I prefer to respond with Indirect fire to hand to hand at this point.   I doesn't mean Im not ready 24/7 for the right fight, just means I know the knee-jerk need to respond to everything is not our friend and I finally figured that out later better than never. and Yes, my glass rarely drops below half full, plenty enough to keep me from dehydrating but not enough to drown myself!!!!!   Stay well Fred, JR 

[Fred13]

@Melodie-And-John0 Aye, no need to swing at every pitch, oftentimes there are just way too many coming our way especially during emotional times.

[Melodie-And-John0]

Part of the message from Brians Zooming yesterday was to let us know that while were looking to recapture what we had somehow, they are looking at how this has affected the market bad and good.   I agree with his notions about where vacations, work related travel and other lodging provisions are going in the short term and far.  Some things are changing and are never coming back, other opportunities will exist in the wake left behind those departing classic "Vacation" movies to see first hand what encyclopedias didn't do justice.  Travel and will look a bit more like "Planes, trains and automobiles" (with less planes and trains) where whim  and work travel are more like a trip to Walmart than an event planned 2 years out. 

 Thanks to immersive technology, we will virtually see more things in better than living color than we will ever hoped to pay for on our endless bucket list to see like the Louvre, Big Ben,Yosemite, Niagara Falls, NY- NY, the Acropolis or 100 other overcrowded and overpriced places and things to see, smell, experience and possibly now die doing.  At the same time, I believe we will go see cool things not so far from home in places like Bearpath Lodging, a cabin in Maine or an adobe home in the Southwest here were we are not so fish out of water/ tourista obvious or stranded if things go "Viral".  He's seeing and talking about these trends and I have to say it makes sense so Im staying. 

 I have to remind myself when I start thinking were not being heard as hosts, there are an awful lot of voices shouting at once, guests, hosts, govermnets, departments of "whatis" fro "whereis"that nobody has ever heard of and more.  Most governments, service providers and giant businesses arent firing on all cylinders, why should ours be so different from them?  The Ceo of Airbnb is really just as human as all of us are (with more $$$$$), he started this thing out with a crazy idea that turned into a giant business.  I heard him say "SH#T" on a zoom call a couple times yesterday, it sounded exactly like how I would say it, not at all like Thurston Howell the Third, he was keeping it real, he knows its not real good right now anywhere, you can see it in his face and hear it in both his voice and words.  Its not one of those times that owning something like Airbnb is as blessed as other Yahoo times, he and we are all learning as we go just like all human animals do so well.  I hope we all come out of this on the other side in good shape and ready to compete for those bookings again without checking someones temperature (thank god for new electronic thermometers that go on ones forehead or in ones mouth and not ,,,!!!!)!!!,  Stay well, JR