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Entertainment
Simon Meechan

Why thousands are booking holiday apartments in Ukraine, with no intention of going

Thousands of people are booking rooms in Ukraine, with no intention of going on holiday to the war-torn country.

In just two days, 61,406 stays were booked in Ukraine through Airbnb, says the holiday letting company co-founder, Brian Chesky.

So why book a holiday let in a warzone? The idea is to help boost the income of Ukrainians who have lost theirs due to the Russian invasion. Airbnb- which has suspended business in Russia - is waiving fees and commission on bookings in Ukraine, including the major cities of Kyiv and Kharkiv.

The idea is to book a stay, then contact the host to say you don't plan on coming, but want the host to keep the money.

Read more: Clive Myrie's refugee plea as he leaves Ukraine

As Newsnight presenter, Emily Maitlis tweeted: "Friend just booked Airbnb apartment in Kyiv ( that clearly he will never go to ) as Airbnb have waved their commission. There are lots of different ways to help/donate but this is one more."

A browse on Airbnb shows listings in Kyiv with messages like "Support Ukraine" and "Kyiv needs your love. Slava Ukraini [Glory to Ukraine].

One Kyiv-based host, Natalia, wrote a message of thanks on her listing page for an apartment in the capital.

Natalia, a verified host active on Airbnb since 2019, says she will pass on donations to those in need.

"Thank you for help! You all are amazing people! 10 days was hard and not safe, but I was able to go to the west of Ukraine because of your help. Now I can sleep and eat normally and want to help others. I will collect these donations and send on to people needs."

She also suggests that customers who book can choose to cancel, without reclaiming their fee, so more people can rebook the apartments. She said: "If somebody wants to donate, to vacate more dates, I set my cancellation fees on full cancellation without refund. So people can book and after 48 hours they will cancel the booking, to keep more dates open for booking. More people can book, as the dates will automatically open through the system."

Those booking rooms have made suggestions on how to make sure your money goes to hosts who need it most, such as looking for homestay listings where you would usually share the property with the person who lives there, prioritising hosts who do not have multiple listings, and avoiding large letting companies.

Ultimately, it is up to you if you wish to support Ukraine in this way. If you want to offer your help through more official channels, the UK Government recommends donating cash to charities like the Disaster Emergencies Ukraine appeal.

In just two days, more than £1m of "donations" were made to Ukraine-based Airbnb hosts.

Airbnb founder, Brian Chesky, tweeted: "48 hours, 61,406 nights have been booked in Ukraine. That's $1.9M (£1.45m) going to Hosts in need."

Go here for more what's on updates, news and reviews from around the North East

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