• Trust for Airbnb is very important, therefore guests should always book their stays through the platform in order to obtain protection of Airbnb’s secured processes and safeguards.
• Airbnb reminds users of the campaign launched with ALAI and Despegar in order to prevent scams during the Holidays.

Tuesday, December 10, 2023- Airbnb believes in building a community based on trust. This is why guests should always book and pay for their stays on-platform in order to be protected with the Safety tools that Airbnb has available. With this in mind, Airbnb also shares how new users have been using the platform to travel since last year.

New data shows that more people are using Airbnb Platform and the community has been growing since 2022.

To protect these new guests, as well as all-time guests, Airbnb recommends for guests to stay on Airbnb – don’t go off platform to communicate with another user or to pay for a booking. Here are five benefits of staying on-platform while booking stays especially around Holidays since people who are planning to book vacations might be targeted by scammers:

1. Aircover: Once you book through Airbnb platform, your booking comes with AirCover. AirCover includes access to a 24-hour Safety Line with specially-trained safety agents who will assist you with your safety issues day or night.
2. Protection of your information and account: Keeping your personal information secure is important. Our Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use personal information, how personal information is shared, and privacy rights. Also, we highly recommend that guests always pay within the platform in order to keep their account and reservations secure.
3. Direct Customer Service with Airbnb: If you only communicate, book, and pay on the Airbnb Platform, this will help ensure you’re protected by Airbnb’s secure processes, this will also give you direct access to contact our customer service in case of an emergency or issue that might arise during an active reservation. Our specialized agents will be able to support you 24/7.
4. Direct Active Numbers for local Emergency Services: In the Safety Center when a user indicates they’re having a safety issue, Airbnb provides local emergency contact numbers.
5. ID Verification: Identity verification is an important part of building that trust within our community. All booking guests and primary Hosts getting booked globally on Airbnb Platform are required to have undergone the verification process. Any primary Hosts who did not complete the verification process by the end of June 2023 had their calendars blocked, preventing them from accepting any more bookings. Similarly, guests who have not completed the verification process will not be able to book on Airbnb.

“As a platform that works to build trust within the community, Airbnb works constantly to improve their safety tools which are always available and included in each reservation”. Said Flavia Matos, Director of Public Policy in Airbnb for Latin America

With the safety of users in mind, in alliance with ALAI and Despegar, Airbnb recently launched a campaign to try and help consumers stay protected from third-party travel scams. The campaign  in LATAM aims to help people to understand how to book safely within the platform and prevent scams during vacations or Holidays. You can find out all the tips and recommendations to always book safely on digital platforms below. For Airbnb safety is very important. This is why we are constantly working to create new tools and give users information to keep the community safe.

#Dubai, December 10, 2023 – The finest travel brands in the world have been unveiled at the World Travel Awards (WTA) Grand Final Gala Ceremony 2023. Tourism royalty convened at Dubai’s Burj Al Arab to find out who amongst them had been voted the best of the best. The red-carpet reception marked the climax of WTA’s landmark 30th anniversary of celebrating travel excellence.

The Maldives emerged as one of the evening’s stars, picking up the ultimate honour of ‘World’s Leading Destination’, with Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) voted ‘World’s Leading Tourist Board’.

The pristine beaches and reefs of the Philippines were recognised with awards for ‘World’s Leading Dive Destination’ and ‘World’s Leading Beach Destination’. Madeira’s wild beauty proved a winner with voters, as the Atlantic archipelago collected ‘World’s Leading Island Destination’. With its timeless elegance and world-class facilities, Cannes was named ‘World’s Leading Festival & Event Destination’.

The Caribbean enjoyed a strong showing, with the paradise island of Saint Lucia voted ‘World’s Leading Honeymoon Destination’. Jamaica also reinforced its credentials as a tourism powerhouse by winning ‘World’s Leading Family Destination’ and ‘World’s Leading Cruise Destination’.

Qatar’s buoyant tourism sector led to a raft of awards. Following the success of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Doha was voted ‘World’s Leading Sports Tourism Destination’. It was also named ‘World’s Leading Business Travel Destination’. Qatar Tourism collected ‘World’s Leading Marketing Campaign’.

In the newcomer categories, Dubai’s iconic Atlantis The Royal lived up to its billing by claiming ‘World’s Leading New Resort’. Qatar’s new architectural masterpiece, Raffles Doha was voted ‘World’s Leading New Hotel’. The ascent of Saudi Arabia’s tourism economy was acknowledged with Red Sea International Airport taking ‘World’s Leading New Airport’.

The Burj Al Arab Jumeirah provided the perfect fitting for the ceremony. An icon of Arabian luxury, the hotel has played a significant role in putting Dubai on the global luxury tourism map.

Graham Cooke, Founder, WTA, says: “It has been a privilege to host our 30th anniversary celebrations at Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Dubai for an incredible evening that will last long in everyone’s memory. Our World winners represent the pinnacle of tourism excellence, and I congratulate each and every one for helping to raise the collective benchmark to even greater heights”.

The strength of Arabian aviation was highlighted with big wins for Qatar Airways (‘World’s Leading Airline’ and ‘World’s Leading Airline – Business Class’); Etihad Airways (‘World’s Leading Airline – Economy Class’ and ‘World’s Leading Airline – Customer Experience’); and Emirates (‘World’s Leading Airline – First Class’).

The opulent beachside retreat, Jumeirah Al Naseem, UAE claimed ‘World’s Leading Hotel’, whilst Sardinia’s Forte Village Resort took ‘World’s Leading Resort’.

Find more information and a full list of winners on the official WTA website.

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.  10 December 2023.  On Thursday 7^th December 2023, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) will be conducting a Regional level Outbreak Simulation Exercise (SimEx) with its Member States, and Regional Agencies.

“A regional SimEx is extremely valuable in emphasising the integrity of the Region’s existing response mechanisms, while revealing strengths and any weaknesses. This can then guide relevant persons in reinforcing the mechanisms and addressing any issues which may be noted during the exercise,” stated Dr Joy St. John, CARPHA Executive Director.

“Exercise Elkhorn” is a tabletop exercise carried out remotely by virtual connection and will focus on a single outbreak.  This approach will utilise a realistic, scripted scenario to assess plans, policies and other preparedness measures, through in-country group discussions and utilising problem-solving skills.

Over 36 participants representing Ministries of Health, and other government agencies, regional organisations, and project partners, will attend the exercise.

The aim of the SimEx is to improve preparedness and response capacities of health systems for public health emergencies in the Caribbean region.   The main objectives in the public health context are to:

• Assess the scope of the incident in keeping with National Multi-Hazard Plans;
• Validate how national leadership communicates and coordinates to facilitate decision-making;
• Assess the understanding of procedures for the mobilisation of national resources (including financial, human, procurement of medical supplies, etc).

Overall, this training exercise will provide participants the opportunity to review response procedures and test their countries’ established coordination and decision-making processes within a realistic scenario. Additionally, the exercise would seek to strengthen multisectoral collaboration and integrative surveillance towards achieving resilient and responsive mechanisms.

The Regional Simulation Exercise was developed as a deliverable of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Regional Health Project (P168539). The project through funding by the World Bank was implemented across four CARPHA Member States (Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines) and by CARPHA and the OECS Commission. This Simulation Exercise is related to Component 2, subcomponent 2.2.1.6 – Simulation Exercise on responding to public health emergencies.