How do you ensure guests feel welcome and promote inclusivity?

[Stephanie]

Superhost, Juliette

Hello everyone,

We know many hosts go to incredible lengths to ensure you foster inclusivity in your home and that every guest feels accepted and welcome. Often this starts from the moment your guest reads your listing description, right through to when they checkout. Juliette, a Superhost in Kenya, has shared some of her own tips and experiences in this recent Resource Center article.*

What do you do to ensure people from across the world feel welcome and promote inclusivity? Perhaps you make sure you communicate with your guests regularly before and during their stay or spend a lot of time on your listing description to ensure that your guests know clearly what to expect when they arrive.

Looking forward to hearing your personal tips and experiences. 

Thanks,

Stephanie

*Link added March 8th

[Jue0]

@Ann72  Thank you Ann. Nice meeting you here. Jue

[Jue0]

@Ann72 Thank you.

[Clara116]

@Jue0 I really appreciate the entire article on Inclusivity - I will be sharing it in my community group - sorry, its taken so long for me to be doing this. Here in the south - northern part of Florida there's certainly a great need to many opening up the notion that biases exist or that they are happening unconsciously. Thank you for being the face of this topic and helping other hosts to take small steps towards more inclusivity. So glad we've connected in the community leaders group. Blessings, Clara

[Jue0]

@Clara116 Thank you Clara. Glad I was able to share my hosting insights and how to welcome guests..

[John5097]

I wanted to add that I use insta book and don't have any restrictions or screening. My guest all get the same automated first message with check in instructions. So guest already know I'm inclusive and appreciate it. All my guest are excited from the get go and reciprocate the respect and actively include me in their blessings and well wishes. I enjoy the more personal bond and trust shared between host and guest. I'm very careful not to mention more rules to any guest. If I noice something I update the listing or put a note somewhere. So having the same policy for everyone to me and my guest is inclusive. 

[Manasui0]

Is by promoting real.. and provide the extra length of your peomotion.. what you promise them.. 

So is like saying no bath tub, but the guest is expecting a bath tub, can be considered as a lie.. 

But in sense of complains, should be considered as critisism as a tool to upgrade such an a porfarmance with in our self.. 

I like to see it as to exceedy self not others.. to upgrade.. 

There is saying translated as slowly but sure.. 

As long as we perform our best and uphrade or progress.. will end up there.. 

Even through pamdemic.. or any problems, they are a tool for us to get better 

Take the bad and the good as precious as it is treasure for us .. and you will end up at your own aktualisation .. 

Good luck my family 

Simcerely, -MANASUI-

[Laura2592]

I am not sure how to answer this question as we do the same thing for all guests. I don't have a separate set of welcome protocols for people who are from different parts of the world versus guests from a different part of the state. But here is what we do:

Reach out after booking to thank them and say I will be in touch later to find out what kind of treat they prefer at check in.

Reach out a few days before check in to ask if they have any allergies/restrictions on snacks/do they have a certain kind of wine they like/would they prefer a non-alchoholic drink (we usually leave sparkling cider if so. People like the fancy bottles and there is a place locally that makes a delicious version.)

Arrange their treats in a little basket with a bow. If its a honeymoon couple they get chilled glasses and some strawberries in the fridge along with their champagne (if they want that.) Most others get a selection of snacks from local sources. We sometimes leave pet treats too.

Write them a note with our phone numbers welcoming them personally and saying something about their reason for the trip ("We hope you enjoy your hiking" etc)

Change the little chalkboard with their names and a welcome message

Email a few hours after check in to make sure they got in okay and see if they need anything. After that we leave them to enjoy the space.

[Fred13]

    All of the above @Laura2592 you do to be a good host, not to also play the role of a social worker that is hired to address a social issue that a booking agency  is convinced it even exists and thus merits special handling.

[Sarah977]

@Fred13  It would sure be interesting to know the exact number of legitimate discrimination reports Airbnb has received that warrants harping on and on about this. 

I don't doubt that prejudiced hosts exist, but I'd wager they are a very small minority. And not any more prevalent than prejudiced guests.

[Fred13]

@Sarah977 I know 50 hosts personally here and all have always been openly welcoming to everyone, and specially now when they are so excited to have guests again (after 10 months of zero guests). 

Too many causes are going on all at once in this 'modern', way too-intense world; I often wonder how people find the opportunities to have a pleasant, jovial  conversation. I do, with every one of my guests.

[Rebecca181]

@Anonymous's post on this subject makes some great points and there are wise suggestions in the comments. Mine: "Be the change you want to see, Airbnb." Meaning, let's see some diversity / inclusivity on Airbnb's Executive Management team. Meaning; Most are financially privileged, able-bodied white males. Andrew's OP here: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Airbnb-inclusivity/td-p/1416817

[Paul1255]

Absolutely @Rebecca181  @Anonymous 

The responses on this thread are to be expected- that hosts are inclusive, and treat all of the guests who book and stay equally.

The bigger issue is how to make the Airbnb platform itself a place where a broader range of people want to be part of the ‘community’ and that definitely starts from the top.

I was disheartened to see an important and valid response to a post on inclusivity from a member who identifies as African American removed and excluded...which ironically seems like the very process that this thread is trying to prevent.

[Ann783]

Interesting question. As a traveler of color, my first concern is safety. I want a comfortable location and not one where neighbors will be looking at me with hostility or suspicious. I let guests know the property is not an “investment” property but my family home where my children spent their summers.

We are family and kid friendly and provide games/toys/books/crib/high chair/pack n play. 
I also leave pads/tampons in all bathrooms. I’m a art collector, and we promote the works of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ artists. 

[Fred13]

My wild mind could envision the day when most people will have to walk around with clothing full of patches on them declaring (and promoting) what they stand for. Or else.

Like those Daytona 500 drivers that by the time you get done looking at all the promo you realize you didn't hear what they had to say.

(Dale Earnhardt)

[Mary996]

Haha... Love this @Fred13. Certainly when the blasts hit and we have to become self-sustaining. You will surely be a great person to have around before the end of the world and we need to get along...!