- Airbnb’s CEO highlighted a surge in domestic bookings in Denmark and the Netherlands;
- The startup recently cut 25% of its staff.
As Europe eases lockdowns, its inhabitants started to plan their holidays generating a spike in Airbnb booking numbers, which may spot a rebound sign for the startup, said Financial Times.
Airbnb has been experiencing financially difficult times. It has recently cut 25% of its employees to save itself financially, as social distancing measures have caused the platform to cease of bookings. The company saw its revenue slashed in half due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking to the Financial Times before the cuts in staff were announced, Brian Chesky, Airbnb’s chief executive, highlighted a surge in domestic bookings in Denmark and the Netherlands. “The recovery is better than what we had forecast even two weeks ago. Is it a temporary recovery? Is it a permanent recovery? Nobody knows,” said Chesky.
According to the media outlet, the company said that by the end of April the number of bookings by Danish users planning stays in their own country was at about 90% of April 2019 levels, while in the Netherlands domestic bookings were approaching 80% of last year levels.
Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Austria had also seen some improvement in the number of domestic bookings but Airbnb declined to comment on whether travelers were planning trips for the summer or later in the year. However, according to FT, these bookings haven’t been enough to alleviate the crisis.
