Hello everyone,
As we continue offering the best experien...
Latest reply
Hello everyone,
As we continue offering the best experience for our members, we would like to announce that we are continu...
Latest reply
Dear Airbnb Community,
Having read the amazing posts you have left during our Month of Celebration, I am humbled - and a little daunted - to be posting alongside you. I am so touched by your stories. Thank you for sharing so many magical and inspiring messages about the moments that have lifted you up during this uniquely challenging year. You, our Hosts and Guests, have been a constant source of inspiration, resilience, learning and optimism; a clear reminder of how and why the Airbnb community is so special. As the world shut down this past year, you showed how to continue creating connection and belonging for your guests and for our community.
For me, 2020 has certainly been a year of lows and highs. A highlight was joining Airbnb back in January (I can't believe it’s not even a year!). I joined to run Airbnb Experiences, which I had to suspend barely two months later as the pandemic was declared. Then we launched Online Experiences, on the suggestion of our Hosts, who continue to create magical experiences for our guests, bringing friends, families and teams together who otherwise would not be able to connect.
Then in July I took over Hosting, bringing together Homes and Experiences. My mission was to put hosting back at the centre of Airbnb. Brian called it going back to our roots. The pandemic hit our Hosts, our Guests, and Airbnb. Hard. We had to focus on our strength (ie. you, our Hosts). And that is what I have done. I heard directly, bluntly, how challenging it had been for some of you and how frustrated you were and I also heard, and read, how you were coping and adapting. We worked on many of your ideas and addressed your concerns, whether it was introducing party bans or sharing new guest travel trends. And, we have ended the year creating the Host Endowment and launching the Host Advisory Board.
On a more personal note, I have deeply missed being able to travel, and particularly not being able to see my family in the UK. But I have spent more time with my husband and sons these past eight months than I have these past eight years! My husband has taught himself to cook (after 52 years) and we haven’t run out of conversation! We also have a dog for the first time ever. We went big. Ozzy (in honour of our time downunder!) is half Pyrenees, half St Bernard with some Collie. He sheds like crazy and is a real drooler, but he has brought so much love and delight to our home. I can’t imagine life without him. While my world has become smaller this year, it has also shown me how deep our layers of love and connection are with those nearest and dearest. We’ve all had to invest in where we are this year, in the space and people that we call home and for that I am thankful.
I am ending this year full of hope and optimism - as so many of you have said in your posts, travel will return. It will likely not be the same as it was, but the human desire to connect to people and places will be stronger than ever. And we will be there to fulfil this desire, sharing our homes, passions and interests, and giving hugs and warm greetings to friends and strangers alike.
Until that time, we will be thinking about what the best version of the future might look like. Airbnb continues to work very hard to improve the experience for our Host and Guest communities. We have made great progress this year, but there is more to be done. And if you have ideas for changes you would like to see in the New Year, please do continue to share them with me and our Community Managers. I value all of the constructive feedback that I receive from you -- our Community is the foundation of the work that we do.
We are looking forward to a wonderful 2021 for Hosts, Guests, and the whole of the Airbnb Community. Thank you for believing in us.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Catherine
I am slightly perplexed that a contributor to this CC the bulk of whose contributions are of a derogatory and negative nature should take aim at someone who tries to bring a bit of humour and humanity into what has been a difficult year for most contributors here on the CC.
I have been doing this for a long time Sharon, I have learned a lot from other fine contributors on the forum and I can't say that you have featured in any of that learning curve over the past six years!
And as you have bought it up Ade approves of everything I may say here in the CC. When you are not faced with the challenges we are faced with it is easy to be flippant, but we have learned to handle our situation and stand the test of time. You have no idea of thought processes that go into being and coping with a disability!
Let me give you an example, one evening we with some friends went to the Piccadilly cinema in North Adelaide....I am sure you know the place on O'Connell St.
There is a large spiral staircase from the foyer level to the cinema seated area and everyone could see Ade having trouble negotiating the large flight of stairs......it is embarrassing for her with all eyes on her not knowing whether to help, but she is fiercely independent and wants to remain that way! The last thing she wants is help, that just compounds her feelings of being inadequate....less of a human! Everyone around is embarrassed and don't know what to do, so I said in a reasonably loud voice...."Oh come on you old cripple"! Others were in shock horror but it took the pressure, the emphasis off of her and I became the focus of attention, not her, and she was able to get on with what she had to do. Sharon, it's a coping mechanism.
We understand each other and what we have to do to make the best of our lives. We have the runs on the board, since this photo in 1969 we have had 50 great years together....
I would prefer it if you don't lecture me on how to deal with a disability, you are welcome to walk a mile in my shoes any day!!!!!
Cheers......Rob
Thanks @Catherine-Powell for being one of us! Ozzie is a delight by the looks of him!
The 2020 year has been a tough one and Christmas for us personally, will feel hollow, but we’ll get there. I cried as I did the last grocery shopping today. It was the Xmas music that set me off....
We’ve planned since forever to make this our Christmas, the first in four years.
Except Covid19 and Sydney’s northern Beaches LGA declared hotspot got expanded to greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, city of Illawarra and up to Gosford. Most states did not enact the restriction till the midnight. The NT enacted them immediately!
Long story short, our son, daughter in law and two grandsons were in a plane when the NT Govt expanded the hotspot zone and made it effective immediately, whilst their plane was nearing Darwin.
Anyone who had entered this declared zone and stayed more than 5kms from the airport had to be ferried out to the Howard Springs guarded quarantine centre by the Australian Border Force.
We all watched our family spend 24 hours in mandatory quarantine with movement restrictions until they were able to get a flight back. Inflated prices, escorted passengers and no getting near them....... oh and their Covid tests were negative, which we knew they would be, as they lived in Canberra.
All their presents for the kids had been sent here in advance, and we could hand over nothing. So so sad. So Xmas for them will be limited as well.
So everyone is sad. His sister and brother-in-law who also came from Canberra, but flew via Brisbane, were okay: but feeling “survivors guilt”.
The sister from Darwin an her family were distressed. The young cousins from here were confused, but knew it was Covid related......
Passengers from an earlier Sydney flight were allowed to land and disembark and go to their homes. If our son’s plane had not been late leaving Sydney, they may have been okay. Had they known about the change in government ruling, before boarding, they would have not boarded , or got off the plane in Sydney, before it left.
We mourn for many things. We have hope for many things. However, we mainly do all this whilst supporting one another, in the belief and knowledge, that is what we are to do.
As we wish our stranded family now back in Canberra a Merry Christmas, we also wish everyone in the community, the best for the season. 🎄🎄🎄🎄
I think @Catherine-Powell , that this little drawing epitomises what many of us have discovered about 2020. 🌸
