NEW YORK (WPIX) — Thousands of people have recently booked Airbnbs in Ukraine with no intention of traveling there.
It’s all in an effort to get money straight into the hands of war-ravaged Ukrainians as Russian troops continue to bombard the country. Volunteers from around the world have been booking Airbnb listings, transferring money to the hosts, and sending messages of support through the platform.
The crowdfunding initiative gained popularity on social media this past week. Those participating helped raise a gross booking value of nearly $2 million on Thursday and Friday alone, according to Airbnb.
More than 61,000 nights were booked in Ukraine by “guests” from around the world, including 34,000 nights booked by folks based in the United States.
In support of the initiative, Airbnb announced it would temporarily waive host and guest booking fees on listings in Ukraine. The company also said it plans to house 100,000 Ukrainian refugees for free.