Airbnb is inviting a small group of travelers to spend time in one of the very few places where Airbnb doesn’t have any hosts.
It is touting the all-expense paid ‘Antarctic Sabbatical,’ offering five people the chance to help research climate change and micro-plastic pollution there.
Those chosen will visit the South Pole and participate in scientific research, starting with lab work training in Chile.
They will stay in Airbnbs in Chile during training and then at a camp run by Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions in Antarctica for several days.
No scientific background is needed, said scientist Kirstie Jones-Williams, but volunteers need to be reasonably fit to trek in freezing conditions over glaciers collecting samples.
"It is hard to work in cold environments so people that perhaps work well under pressure, work well when they’re tired, that’s actually quite key," Jones-Williams said.
Airbnb is partnering with Ocean Conservancy to utilize the research for advocacy purposes.
"Airbnb is not going to solve climate change, but we all have a responsibility to do what we can and use our capacity to help take steps forward," said Chris Lehane, Airbnb’s senior vice president of global policy and communications.
