Nëse nuk e ke lexuar ende: Përditësimet e Bordit këshillimor të pritësit

When we announced that we were forming a Host Advisory Board last year, our goal was to give Hosts around the world a seat at the table—and a voice in Airbnb’s planning and decision-making.

The 18 members of the 2021 Host Advisory Board span 15 countries and six continents. Each Host brings a unique perspective and a strong desire to create a better future for the hosting community.

They’ve made a big impact already, and we want to take a minute to recognize all that they’ve done so far this year. They’ll continue to advocate for Hosts and the community throughout 2021, so stay tuned for more updates.

To kick off the first year of the program, the Host Advisory Board came up with their top priorities for the year, including making hosting easier, sustainability, and diversity and belonging. The board meets regularly to provide feedback about community policies and new programs and tools on these topics—and more. Learn more from Omar in Mexico, and read on for details about the Advisory Board’s accomplishments so far this year.

Because customer service is an important resource for Hosts, Airbnb announced in May that we’re rolling out a series of substantial upgrades to our Community Support. The Advisory Board has been providing feedback on this since the beginning of the year, like offering helpful input for making improvements to the Help Center.

In light of the challenges many Hosts faced during the pandemic, members of the Advisory Board advocated for Superhosts, who are now able to keep their status through the end of 2021 if they meet two criteria.

Learn more from Merrydith in Australia

To support our Host community in becoming more environmentally friendly, members of the Advisory Board’s sustainability committee offered tips on:

• Becoming an eco-friendly Host
• Avoiding single-use plastics
• Conserving water
• Promoting environmentally-friendly travel

Learn more from Anna in Wales

Last year, Airbnb announced the creation of the Community Fund program, a long-term initiative that’s investing in the neighborhoods and towns you call home. In 2021, the Community Fund is distributing $10 million dollars to local and national organizations around the world, with more to come in the future.

The Host Advisory Board was a key partner in the Community Fund process:

• The Advisory Board selected the 2021 Community Fund program themes: COVID-19 relief effort, economic empowerment, and education
• They reviewed nearly 500 organizations from Airbnb’s program partner, GlobalGiving, then invited community leaders and Host Clubs around the world to vote on the Community Fund recipients
• Board members also participated in Airbnb’s Global Host Tours in May to share more about the Community Fund and highlight local grant recipients

Learn more from Bez in Canada

The Host Advisory Board is establishing itself as an important voice in the development of new diversity and inclusion policies and product enhancements at Airbnb. Learn more from Peter in California

Advisory Board members have also shared feedback on Project Lighthouse, Airbnb’s initiative to find and fight discrimination on Airbnb. Learn more from Sam in Pennsylvania

The Advisory Board will be back next month with more updates. In the meantime, you can find out more about their work and get to know the members.