Airbnb to wind down China rentals amid ongoing lockdowns

Airbnb is winding down domestic rentals in China, where the “zero-Covid” policy has led to ongoing lockdowns.

All listings for homes in China will be removed from Airbnb’s website by summer. The company is expected to switch its focus to Chinese outbound travel.

Prior to Covid-19 shutdown in international borders, Chinese outbound travellers had tripled in less than a decade, reaching 155 million journeys in 2019, according to the UNWTO.

But since 2020, China has had some of the toughest Covid restrictions in the world, with strict curbs on travel into and around the country.

Airbnb set up its business in China in 2016. Since then, some 25 million guests have booked stays there through the online home rental company.
The company has also faced strong competition from Chinese home-rental platforms.