Hi!
I had a great experience following 2 of David’s tours.
As a lone traveller the cost / risk of finding a quality local guide (if not through a recognised resource such as Airbnb) felt high in Mexico. On both occasions I used David’s guide, I had not been able to find an appropriate in person option. I was a heavy user of Airbnb experiences during a sustained period of travel in Mexico and valued David’s service as highly (or higher than) several of the in person offers.
I first used David’s service for Coba. I fully understood at the time of booking that he wouldn’t be there in person (maybe this is the issue Airbnb are trying to address?). The interactive guide was far superior to taking a book, and more reliable & intuitive than hoping for web access (& time to navigate it) on site.
I would encourage Airbnb to shift attention to the less scrupulous hosts, eg
- those acting as agents for other businesses (incl. where costs are higher if booked through Airbnb). This should be excluded or signalled as a separate type of offer.
- ‘chancers’ - I have provided feedback on 1 provider who provided a very poor service (& remains active, despite minimal bookings / a mix of ‘disappointed’ feedback) - no safety measures, no alternatives in poor / unsafe conditions, misinformation.