Airbnb Hosts Enrolled More Than 1 Million Listings in Cleaning Protocol

by Jennifer SwartvagherAugust 27, 2020

Travel in 2020 looks different than in years past. There is a greater need for disinfection and cleanliness. Airbnb just announced that 1.2 million listings globally have been granted the Enhanced Cleaning Protocol (ECP) highlight since it launched in June.

Hosts on Airbnb continue to prioritize health and safety as guests look for healthy and responsible getaways. Listings receive The Enhanced Clean highlight after hosts attest to following sanitization guidelines to support safer travel. The program, which is available to hosts in 220+ countries and regions, is informed by guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States and Europe and advice from former Surgeon General of the United States, Vivek Murthy.

Airbnb offers unique homes with more space for their money and more control over their environment, such as entire-home listings with private amenities like kitchens and swimming pools. Bookings for listings opted into the Enhanced Cleaning Protocol are more likely to be for family stays.

Airbnb’s Enhanced Cleaning Initiative continues to evolve and expand as our community adapts to a new world of travel and health precautions. As of this month, hosts in more than 220 countries and regions have access to Airbnb’s expert-backed Enhanced Cleaning Protocol in 61 languages, including a detailed handbook and other resources. Additionally, Airbnb has issued Health and Safety Guidelines for its entire community.

The top ten countries with the highest number of Enhanced Clean listings on Airbnb are:

United States
France
United Kingdom
Spain
Italy
Mexico
Brazil
Australia
Canada
Greece

Airbnb hosts in other places have also started following the new cleaning standards. Barbados, Korea, Japan and Portugal are also top ranking locations for Enhanced Clean listings, compared to total listings available.

“Cleanliness and safety are top of mind for our hosts and guests. In the last weeks, hosts have embraced and adopted our new rigorous guidelines, with thousands more attesting to the Enhanced Cleaning protocol everyday. This effort shows how our hosts are dedicated to the highest standards and committed to keeping their guests and communities safe,” said Catherine Powell, Head of Hosting at Airbnb.

According to internal Airbnb guest review data, 95 percent of all Airbnb reviews show that guests are satisfied with cleaning, scoring it at 4 or 5 stars (out of five stars) after their stays. Since the program launched, Enhanced Clean listings have had an average cleanliness rating of 4.8 stars, according to guest reviews.

In addition, as more guests opt to travel by car instead of plane, the percentage of bookings made on Airbnb within 200 miles has grown in the last months. Below are the top ten destinations with the highest concentration of Airbnb Enhanced Clean listings:

Telluride, Colorado, US
Destin, Florida, US
Walla Walla, Washington, US
Panama City Beach, Florida, US
Oregon Coast, US
Peak District, Hope Valley, UK
Grant County, Washington, US
Big Sky, Montana, US
Mammoth Lakes, California, US
Winter Park, Colorado, US

Airbnb hosts need to comply with guidance from governments or health authorities in their local jurisdictions. They remain committed to working with local governments, medical experts and other authorities to help ensure appropriate precautions are taken and inform the reopening of communities and their tourism economies.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of Airbnb

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Amazon Teams Up with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to Bring Camp Prime to Families Everywhere

by Jennifer SwartvagherJuly 13, 2020

Many families are choosing to stay close to home this summer. Amazon Prime is teaming up with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to launch Camp Prime to bring summer fun to families across the country. The program is available to everyone, even if they’re not a Prime member, and families across the country can participate and access the free Camp Prime Handbook.

“The past few months have challenged parents and kids alike, and I know many families, including my own, were looking forward to their summer traditions this year,” said Jamil Ghani, vice president of Amazon Prime. “That’s why we partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to bring families the Camp Prime Handbook. The handbook is free for everyone and is full of activities families can do with supplies easily found around the house. With the Boys & Girls Clubs’ 160 years of experience providing youth camps, we’ve created an experience that will help families make the most of this unique summer, building on Prime’s year-round goal to help make people’s lives a little easier, more convenient, and more fun every day.”

To extend summer camp fun to even more kids, Amazon is also providing $500,000 in donations to Boys & Girls Clubs to help further their mission of enabling young people to reach their full potential. The funds will help Boys & Girls Clubs across the country, including Clubs in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas, Boston, Detroit, Denver, Seattle and more offer safe and fun summer activities to youth and families, such as virtual programming options and ‘curbside camp’ kits available for pickup at select locations.

“We are facing the unique and unexpected challenge of providing our Club members with gear and resources to help them stay active and engaged at home this summer,” said Jim Clark, president & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “We are extremely grateful for Amazon Prime’s support and donation, which will help us give our kids everything from craft supplies to sports equipment to educational materials and books to keep them entertained all summer long.”

Amazon customers can also donate to their local Boys & Girls Club by selecting them as their charity of choice on AmazonSmile, donate directly through AmazonSmile Charity Lists or simply say “Alexa, donate to Boys & Girls Clubs” to their Alexa-enabled device.

The Camp Prime Handbook features easy and fun activities using items from around the house, including building a classic campfire (minus the flames) for storytelling and s’mores, visiting the camp canteen (aka your kitchen) for easy-to-make, healthy snacks from the Whole Kids Foundation, and learning to garden with an upcycled box. Prime members can also extend their experience through additional Camp Prime-themed content with Prime Video, Prime Reading and Amazon Music as part of their memberships.

In addition to the handbook, starting on Jul. 14, Amazon will be updating their blog with fun how-to videos from popular experts who will walk families through summer activities that can be enhanced with Amazon Devices. From beatboxing and crafts, to wellness and dance, families can learn new skills and create together.

Videos will launch daily from Jul. 14 to Jul. 18 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on the influencer’s platform and live on the Amazon Day One blog throughout the summer. The videos will be available for the entire summer. A full schedule of experts and activities are below:

Jul. 14: DIY Summer Sailboats with Pool Noodles with P.S. I Made This Founder, Erica Domesek

Jul. 15: Family Meditation & Movement with Spiritual Health + Wellness Teacher, Koya Webb

Jul. 16: Storytime with Lil Libros Author, Patty Rodriguez

Jul. 17: How to Beatbox with TikTok Star, Joey Klaasen

Jul. 18: At Home Dance Class with Award-Winning Choreographer, Sherrie Silver

Families can also interact with Alexa on compatible devices or via the Alexa and Amazon Shopping apps by saying, “Alexa, What is Camp Prime?” to get more information about the summer program and “Alexa, tell me the fun fact of the day” to start out their camp day with an educational anecdote.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Boys & Girls Clubs of America

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Best Baby Sleep Books for Every Parenting Style & Sleep Issue

by Julie SegussMarch 28, 2016

Dreaming of the first time your baby sleeps through the night? Wish you could get your little one to take longer naps? Wondering if crying it out or co-sleeping is right for you? Check out our top ten list of baby sleep books to find the perfect handbook for your situation and parenting style.

Best to Read During Pregnancy

Relatively new on the sleep book scene, with a 2015 publication date, The Good Sleeper provides the latest research on hot button sleep methods you may or may not have heard of yet as a parent-to-be. Read this before Baby arrives so you can take an educated stance on crying it out, cosleeping and discover the sleep tools you should (or shouldn't) register for. Then, hopefully a few of the tips will help you and baby get plenty of rest later.

Available at amazon.com, $13.24.

What sleep book if your go-to? Share your favorite in a comment.

–Julie Seguss

How to Make Your Baby an Internet Celebrity

by Kelly AiglonOctober 2, 2014

They say everyone gets 15 minutes of fame. Imagine if it happened to your baby before their first birthday! Sure, having your newest little family member in the public eye isn’t for everyone — but a new book on the subject by Rick Chillot definitely is.

The Lowdown
“How to Make Your Baby an Internet Celebrity” is a tongue-in-cheek handbook that’s a fun read for new parents. It has ideas for ways to film, photograph and “brand” your baby and then send the goofy-adorable results across the interwebs. Just don’t take it too seriously — Rick is kidding around. And you, as a busy parent, deserve a laugh.

The author appears to be a born comedian (his bio touts the fact that he is a “former baby”). He’s joined by photographer Dustin Fenstermacher, known for his work for the New York Times and Village Voice. The two last worked together on a similar book, “How to Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity.” For this fling into baby-dom, they’ve assembled 126 pages of hilarious lists, infographics, how-to info and photos.

Funny Snippets
Have you sent out a press release about your baby’s birth? The book suggests that’s where you’ll want to start. Then get down to the funny business of plotting and making a video to introduce him or her to the world before it’s too late (aka: kindergarten). You’ll get a kick out of identifying your infant’s key star qualities and finding his or her character type (action hero, intellectual, gourmand, sensitive).

Without giving away the whole book — which anyone who’s a fan of The Onion will totally eat up — rest assured there are a lot more chuckles to be had. Learn how to style your baby with props (fake beards are always winners) and use filters and sound effects to seal the deal.

The best idea? Pick up this book now and give it to the first new parent you see. And if that happens to be you, all the better.

“How to Make Your Baby an Internet Celebrity” is available now from Quirk Book, $10.11 at amazon.com.

Would you follow the tips in this funny new book? Let us know in the Comments!

— Kelly Aiglon

ML Interest Tag: handbook

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