In 2017, Airbnb began letting Korean travelers book and book rooms in the US with a minimum $100 deposit.
They were a godsend for travelers who were looking for cheap accommodation in a country where the median household income is $28,000 a year, and where the average salary is $30,000.
Airbnb’s CEO, Brian Chesky, is a former top executive at Airbnb, and in 2018 he joined Airbnb as CEO and cofounder.
Airbnb is a private company, so it can’t be regulated by the US government, but it’s possible that US regulators would consider Airbnb’s business model to be illegal.
“Airbnb has a history of providing people with affordable lodging and services in China and other countries,” Chesky said in a statement.
“The US has been a good partner and will continue to be one.”
But Airbnb, which was acquired by the larger tech giant Google in 2017, still faces competition from Chinese tour companies and travel agents that are also offering similar services in the country.
Travel agents are able to offer discounted rates, which means they can charge a fraction of what Airbnb charges.
And Chinese hotels and airlines often charge a significant premium for international travelers.
Airbnb says it has been working with regulators to protect the business model.
Airbnb and China have an “unparalleled history of cooperative partnership,” Airbnb said in 2017.
It said that while it would be illegal to violate Chinese laws, it would continue to “work to address any issues” with local government.
Airbnb has also faced controversy over how its services are handled in the countries where it operates.
The company said it “will not be discriminating against any individual or business” in China or any other country.
The travel agency Brooklyn is the latest company to be forced to shut down because it offered Chinese travelers a better rate than the US.
The site was the first to offer discounts on rooms for travelers to China, but Brooklinia also said that Brookleyns Chinese customers were “overcharged” because they were not paying the same rate as other Chinese travelers.
In 2016, Brookly was fined $1.9 million for violating Chinese laws on its Chinese business.
Brooklenia’s chief executive, Yang Cheng, was forced to resign in January after a backlash from Chinese tourists and the local government, according to local media.
Brooks site has since been taken down.
