(Bloomberg) -- Airbnb Inc. said it accepted almost $2 million in bookings in Ukraine from people who have no intention of staying in the accommodation and just want to get money into the hands of the war-torn citizens there.
Some 61,000 nights were booked in Ukraine on March 2-3, according to a tweet by Airbnb Chief Executive Officer Brian Chesky. Users in the U.S., U.K. and Canada accounted for nearly three-quarters of total reservations, the San Francisco-based company said in an email, adding that it has temporarily waived guest and host fees on bookings in Ukraine.
Airbnb said earlier this week it was offering free short-term housing for up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees who are fleeing the Russian invasion and it will work with neighboring European states to provide long-term stays. Ukraine has more than 17,000 short-term rentals, according to data provided by market research firm AirDNA.
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