The online lodging service Airbnb has seen rapid growth in Russia as the country's economic recession forces more Russians to look for ways to supplement their incomes, the Bloomberg news agency reported Tuesday.
The Russian business of San Francisco-based Airbnb has doubled during the past year, propelling Moscow into the world's top 10 cities with the most bookings, Bloomberg reported.
“The traditional Russian mindset of 'my home is my castle' is changing as more people open up and seek extra income to cope with the economic turmoil,” Andrew Verbitsky, head of Airbnb in Russia, told Bloomberg.
In the first half of the year, real wages in Russia fell by 8.8 percent, according to data from the Rosstat state statistics service.
The online platform Airbnb allows owners to rent out entire apartments or single rooms to travelers, charging commission of between 6 percent and 12 percent, depending on the cost of the booking. Airbnb’s biggest renters are Paris, London, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
According to Verbitsky, before this year Russians using Airbnb preferred to rent out their entire apartments, while now more people are renting out single rooms.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
