BUDGET travel firm Airbnb has pledged to give its COP26 profits to Zero Waste Scotland as it urges more Scottish hosts to offer their properties.
The number of people expected to attend the climate summit in Glasgow in November (30,000) is around double the capacity of hotel rooms in the Greater Glasgow area.
While the UK Government’s official accommodation provider extends that area to Edinburgh, Airbnb hopes to expand its Glasgow presence by getting more locals to open their rooms to guests. It’s offering them a £100 “welcome bonus” travel coupon redeemable for accommodation through its platform to anyone willing to “be a part of history”.
And it’s pledged to donate all service fees to Zero Waste Scotland to help that non-profit tackle climate change.
The pledges come as MSPs prepare to examine a licensing scheme proposal that would require the owners of Airbnb and other short-term letting properties to register in popular tourist areas. Holyrood ministers had hoped to bring in new laws before the Scottish Parliament election in May but this was deferred as a result of pushback from some MSPs. A public consultation will run until the end of October and existing hosts and operators would have to apply for a licence by April 2023 under the proposals.
Amanda Cupples, general manager for Northern Europe at Airbnb, said: “Homesharing helps cities use existing space to scale up their capacity and welcome major events. It also empowers locals to provide sustainable and affordable accommodation across the city, benefitting the local economy.”
Zero Waste Scotland head Iain Gulland commented: “To truly end the climate crisis, we need to change how we consume. This donation will be a great boost to the work we are doing in Scotland to help citizens and businesses choose more sustainable ways to live.”
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