Airbnb warned of the impact of the delta variant on holiday bookings

At the end of last week, the popular Airbnb accommodation platform warned of the impact of the COVID-19 delta variant on holiday bookings in the coming months. According to Airbnb, reservations in the current quarter could be affected by the delta variant and the slowing down of vaccination against COVID-19 in the USA. The company's shares fell more than four percent in response to this report. The platform predicts that the growth rate of overnight bookings will slow in the current third quarter of 2021 compared to the second quarter and their number will remain below the level of 2019. CFO Dave Stephenson said in a telephone interview with investors that the platform already records a smaller number of reservations in the fall. He attributed this to a combination of both seasonal factors (autumn) and the potential impact of delta concerns. The extremely popular global application was hit hard by the pandemic last year, as were other companies in the tourism industry. But unlike hotels and other accommodations, Airbnb quickly reoriented itself and focused on local and long-term rentals. Airbnb has also managed to attract people who are looking to rent accommodation suitable for telecommuting, from home, or one that does not require air travel. This year, thanks to progress in vaccination, the platform reported more than a fourfold increase in bookings worth $ 13.4 billion (€ 11.39 billion) in the second quarter. However, despite a previous warning, Airbnb expects the third quarter (July-September) to be very strong in some markets, as people, especially in North America and Europe, are interested in holiday homes after the restrictions on COVID-19 have been lifted.