The company, which was preparing to go public, is facing an uncertain future due to restrictions as a result of the pandemic as well as fear of possible outbreaks. "Tourism as we knew it is over. I do not mean that travel has ended, but that the model we knew has died and will not return," said Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky in an interview in CNBC in the United States.
"People want to go out, but be safe. They do not want to get on a plane or travel on business or cross borders," he explained, later explaining that the trend will be towards more domestic and local tourism, close to or without large urban centers or leave the country. For example, the businessman mentioned the figures handled by the platform in Spain, which between May 24 and June 6 registered more national reserves than during the same period in 2019. "What we are going to do now is get in the car, drive a few kilometers to a small community, or city, and stay in a house," says Chesky, who during the interview acknowledged that the number of reservations between the end of May and June in the United States is similar to a year ago.