English Heritage, the public body responsible for managing British cultural heritage, has approved a £1.25 million donation from Airbnb to support the US online portal’s bid to “promote cultural heritage tourism” and continue to preserve its most important and historic sites. UK homes.
But not all that glitters is gold. Airbnb was recently criticized after new data revealed a sharp rise in the number of short-term rental listings in coastal areas of England and Wales, raising concerns about “theme parks for the wealthy”.
Housing activists say the trend is that homeowners in popular vacation spots may prefer tourists over renters, at a time when many people are struggling with the rising cost of living. Silicon Valley responded that the donation is part of a larger project aimed at “promoting cultural heritage” that the platform is promoting: “We are proud to contribute to an English heritage that will benefit local communities and tourists alike, who will be able to enjoy England’s rich cultural history, including hidden gems in some of the less-visited rural and rural areas.Happy Amanda Coples, General Manager of Airbnb Northern Europe.
English Heritage manages more than 400 historic sites across England, including Stonehenge and Dover Castle, and as a registered charity, it counts on the support of donations to protect the future of these famous places. As mentioned In a recent article for the Guardian newspaper,Will McMahon, Director of Action on Empty Houses, who coordinated the campaign Working on Short Letsasked if English Heritage should accept a donation from Airbnb: “The Airbnb donation appears to have only one purpose: it is a kind of cultural greenwash of what has become an investment platform that removes homes from residential use and exacerbates our housing crisis.”.
he added: “Airbnb clearly has a strategic understanding of its weaknesses and, in my view, makes corporate donations to offset the poor publicity it receives across the country due to short rentals affecting long-established local communities in the city, ‘on the coast and in the countryside'” .
Not surprisingly, the donation to the charity, which serves as a custodian of the country’s architectural heritage, comes after the launch of a new class of historic homes that the rental giant has listed as a property since July.
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