The home rental company expands and rebrands in the Far East.
Airbnb is expanding in China and bringing its excursions, or „Experiences,“ feature to Shanghai.
China, with its billion-plus population, is a major lure to tech companies. And Airbnb is no different.
The home rental company announced Tuesday it’s doubling down on its efforts in China. First, it’s changing its name to „Aibiying,“ which means „welcome each other with love“ in Chinese. And, second, it’s expanding its workforce in the country.
„There’s a whole new generation of Chinese travelers who want to see the world in a different way,“ Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said in a statement. „I’m really excited about our future here. “
Founded in 2008, the popular home-rental website now operates in 190 countries and has more than 3 million listings. Getting there hasn’t been easy, however. Airbnb has battled regulators , hotel groups and housing advocates who have cast the service as responsible for tightening housing markets. The company’s expansion into China could be equally as complicated, as the country is known for censorship and strict regulations.
Many American companies, such as Google, Facebook and Twitter, have seen their websites blocked in China. And others, like ride-hailing service Uber, dealt with heavy regulations and office raids from local authorities.
