A negative ad campaign linked to the hotel industry is targeting their free-market competitors, the extremely popular home sharing company Airbnb.
The Hill reported that the ad was released on Tuesday, saying that black guests have a more difficult booking a room than white guests because the home’s occupants are racists and make excuses for the race-based discrimination.
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“If you couldn’t tell from my name, my photos make it very clear I am a black woman,” said the ad’s narrator Akilah. “I get declined all the time on Airbnb.”
The ad was released by the group Share Better, made up of community and housing advocates. Despite local spokespeople and members, The Wall Street Journal reported this year that the group was funded by a hotel trades union in New York.
Attacking Airbnb has less to do with community interests and more to do with the hotel industry’s bottom line.
Airbnb slammed the ad, stating it’s trying stoke anger and fear against the fastest growing free market alternative to the hotel industry.
“While discrimination based on race has plagued societies for centuries, we are committed to doing everything we can to create a community that is fair for everyone,” said an Airbnb spokesperson in a statement on Thursday. “It’s unfortunate that the hotel lobbyists continue to mislead people about Airbnb, but we know our platform unites people from different communities and cultures and we’re going to keep working to bring people together.”
According to the New York Post, the ad is set to in six cities, including New York and Washington, D.C. starting Thursday.
Watch the whole ad below:
