Airbnb has begun listing residences in Cuba on its home rental service for US-based travelers, reports the AP.
The company has expanded its service just a couple of months after the US government lifted trade restrictions with the island country.
Airbnb has more than 1,000 properties listed in Cuba, a majority of which are in Cuba and the rest in tourist destinations like Cienfuegos. The country has had a long history of hosting travelers in private homes, and Airbnb’s regional director Kay Kuehne believes it’s a perfect fit for the company.
Said Kuehne, “We are actually plugging into an existing culture of micro-enterprise in Cuba. The hosts in Cuba have been doing for decades what we just started doing seven years ago.”
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It’s worth noting that non-US travelers won’t be able to use Airbnb’s service in Cuba at present, owing to continuing restrictions under the American embargo. Hopefully that will change in the near future.
Airbnb’s expansion into Cuba follows Google’s move to open up its Play Store and Analytics services in the country last November.
➤ Airbnb to Cuba in major US business expansion [Associated Press via The Verge]
Image credit: Frank Bach | Shutterstock
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