Airbnb furious about Manchester bombing ad campaign
Airbnb has responded angrily to an ad by a New York hotel lobbying group, which implies the home rental site does not do sufficient background checks on guests.
The 30-second ad began airing in the US on Monday and seems to associate Airbnb rentals as a safe house for terrorists.
The ad cites the story of suicide bomber Salman Abedi, who reportedly stayed in a rental home while planning the attack on an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.
That rental was not an Airbnb home.
The Hotel Association of New York City’s ad states: "Who’s in your building? Airbnb won’t say.
"Are you at risk?" it added.
It lists a telephone number for residents to call and ‘stand up for NY’s safety and security’.
Airbnb spokesman Peter Schottenfels said the ad is ‘an outrageous scare tactic by big hotels who themselves have a long history of lodging people who engage in acts of terror’.
He added: "The fact is Airbnb had nothing to do with the tragic events in Manchester and we are one of the only hospitality companies that runs background checks on all US residents, both hosts and guests.
"Hotel CEOs have a responsibility to tell us why they don’t do the same and why they continue to fund this sort of despicable, cynical advertising."
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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