Online accommodation booking firm Airbnb has announced a ban on one-night reservations for New Year’s Eve in an attempt to crack down on “disruptive” parties over the holiday period, as part of its global party embargo.
In a press release on Tuesday, Airbnb announced the new measure to protect its hosts and their communities as travel picks up in the wake of Covid-19 and its associated restrictions.
The San Francisco-based firm said the ban on single-night booking on New Year’s Eve would apply for entire homes, but those with a history of positive reviews would be exempt from the policy.
“For two-night reservations – as NYE approaches, we will deploy more stringent restrictions on two-night reservations that may pose heightened risk for disruptive parties,” the Airbnb statement added.
The firm also said it would “amplify our technology that restricts certain local and last-minute bookings” for guests who don’t have a history of positive reviews.
The restrictions are effective in the US, Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain and the UK, it said.
Airbnb said it had previously piloted the policy, notably during NYE 2020. The move blocked some 243,000 guests from booking single-night stays, with the firm contending that it probably achieved its objectives of reducing disruptive parties. The company claimed it experienced similar success with such a move in the US and Canada over the July 4 and Halloween 2021 holidays.
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