Home-sharing sites roll out welcome mat for minorities
Dee Ann Durbin/Associated Press Business Writer | 9/13/2019, 6 a.m.
A handful of home-sharing services are trying to ease fears of discrimination by catering to specific minority groups.
Their approach has carved out a thriving niche in the market.
Muzbnb is a site for Muslims. Misterb&b serves gay travelers. Innclusive and Noirbnb cater to African-American customers. There are also home-sharing sites for Mormons, Christians and women.
Anyone is welcome to use the sites. Some hosts list on both niche sites and the bigger competitors.
One executive calls the services “digital Green Books,” a reference to the guide that black motorists once used to find welcoming hotels.
The dominant home-sharing brands —Airbnb, Booking.com and VRBO — have more than 14 million listings between them. All three have software and staff dedicated to rooting out bias and responding to complaints.
