“The biggest role our hosts can play is to educate lawmakers about the way Airbnb works,” said Christopher Nulty, a spokesman for Airbnb. It’s just a really special way for people to experience something new.”Chang and her husband, David Hsu, have used Airbnb themselves when traveling, she says. The hope, she says, is to familiarize shop owners with Airbnb and to encourage hosts to recommend local businesses to visitors. This event, called a “merchant walk” and organized by Airbnb, feels like a casual neighborhood meet-and-greet. Airbnb is suing the city of San Francisco, battling legislation in New York and fighting widespread allegations that some of its hosts discriminate against renters.

Source: Washington Post July 31, 2016 16:41 UTC