China News  
SINO DAILY
Airbnb pulls Great Wall overnight stay after uproar
by Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) Aug 8, 2018

Home rental website Airbnb has scrapped a contest offering a chance to spend the night at a section of the Great Wall of China after an online backlash from people worried it could damage the site.

News of the "Night At The Great Wall" contest lit up Chinese social media, with critics calling it a publicity stunt that lacked respect for the ancient monument.

"No matter how they dress it up, this doesn't hide the fact that this contest is by a private company that will undeniably cause damage to an ancient artifact," one person wrote on the Twitter-like Weibo platform.

Officials from the Yanqing district -- home to the section of the Great Wall that was to host the sleepover -- said in a statement that they had not been notified about the event and that no approval was given.

"We have made the decision to not move forward with this event and instead we are working on a range of other experiences and initiatives that showcase China as a destination," Airbnb said Tuesday.

Launched last week, the contest invited users to write about breaking down cultural barriers and building new connections.

Four winners would get the chance to spent the night in a customised bedroom built in an ancient watchtower of the wall, which Airbnb said was done in consultation with conservation experts so that "not a single nail" of the Wall would need to be moved.

"This unprecedented level of access will showcase the Great Wall to the world and promote sustainable tourism to China by spotlighting wide ranging efforts to preserve the Wall's deep heritage and bring Chinese culture to life," the contest site said.

Airbnb has run similar competitions for the Catacombs in Paris, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and Abbey Road Studios in London.

More than 8.6 million Chinese tourists have used Airbnb and the company has about 150,000 room listings in China. However, it is facing stiff competition from local rivals such as Tujia and Xiaozhu, which have flourished in the absence of official government regulations surrounding the fast-growing sector.

Airbnb agreed at the end of March to provide travellers' passport information to local authorities to comply with regulations that require all foreign visitors to China to register their accommodation details with the police.

The company has come under increasing pressure elsewhere, as cities and landlords crack down on "hosts" essentially turning homes into hotels. Tourist hotspots such as New York, Paris and Tokyo have all passed laws regulating short-term rentals.

el/lth/rma

Weibo


Related Links
China News from SinoDaily.com


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


SINO DAILY
The odd-job volunteers 'fixing' Hong Kong politics
Hong Kong (AFP) Aug 7, 2018
As attendance at Hong Kong's traditional protest rallies wanes, one pro-democracy group is trying to win hearts and minds in a more pragmatic way - through plumbing, electrics and household repairs. Calling themselves Fixing Hong Kong, the group's volunteers mend broken appliances, furniture, pipes and wiring, hoping that forging community spirit will lead to greater political awareness. The novel approach comes as semi-autonomous Hong Kong's freedoms are under threat from an increasingly asser ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

SINO DAILY
China developing in-orbit satellite transport vehicle

PRSS-1 Satellite in Good Condition

China readying for space station era: Yang Liwei

China launches new space science program

SINO DAILY
Are tech titans teetering atop the market?

HSBC to pay $765m US fine over crisis-era conduct

State-owned China Tower trades flat on Hong Kong debut

China's factory-gate inflation tops forecasts in July

SINO DAILY
SINO DAILY
US denies role as Venezuela's Maduro blames 'assassination' attempt on Colombia

The lightning Russia-Georgia war

Russia used lessons from Georgia war in Ukraine conflict

Sweden, Finland say Russia has 'false' defence information

SINO DAILY
Extreme makeover: Fukushima nuclear plant tries image overhaul

Framatome becomes main distributor of Chesterton valve packing and seals for the nuclear energy industry

SUSI submarine robot enables successful visual Inspection at Asco Nuclear Power Plant

EDF sees new delay, cost overruns for nuclear reactor

SINO DAILY
Googlers bristle at censoring search for China

Amnesty alleges "hostile" government behind spyware attack

Google developing censor-friendly search engine for China

China's former internet czar charged with taking bribes

SINO DAILY
Extreme makeover: Fukushima nuclear plant tries image overhaul

Framatome becomes main distributor of Chesterton valve packing and seals for the nuclear energy industry

SUSI submarine robot enables successful visual Inspection at Asco Nuclear Power Plant

EDF sees new delay, cost overruns for nuclear reactor

SINO DAILY
Searching for wind for the future

Clock starts for Germany's next wind farm

ENGIE: Wind energy footprint firmed up in Norway

Batteries make offshore wind energy debut









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.