Airbnb is extending its ban on parties through the end of summer
Parties and events will not be allowed at any Airbnb listings throughout at least the summer amid heightened demand for travel, the company announced Thursday. The ban is an extension of Airbnb's original rule put in place last summer due to COVID-19.
"At the time of the August 2020 policy change, COVID-19 cases were spiking, and vaccines were not yet approved," a statement from the company read. "As we said then and still believe now, this indefinite ban was in the best interest of public health."
The policy will continue to block search tags on listings such as "event-friendly" and "parties and events allowed," as well as continue a neighborhood support line where neighbors of Airbnb listings will be able to report issues or concerns.
Guests under the age of 25 in certain countries will not be allowed to book entire home listings in their local areas under the new protocol. U.S. guests will also not be allowed to make reservations at Airbnb properties for one night during the July 4th weekend if they don't have a history of positive reviews on the platform.
"This policy has proven to be popular with our Host community – the vast majority of whom already prohibited parties in their own House Rules," the company's statement said.
Airbnb's policy will be updated at the end of the summer, the company added.
Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that people who have received both doses of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine can safely participate in indoor and outdoor activities, regardless of size, without social distancing or wearing a mask. To date, 40% of Americans are fully vaccinated, the CDC reported.
And as Airbnb noted Thursday, the demand for travel is returning. Nearly 37 million people are expected to travel on Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA.
More countries have also recently announced re-openings for tourism to meet such demand and U.S. states have relaxed some COVID-19 protocols.