Airbnb ends rentals in China to focus on outbound tourists

BEIJING (AP) — Airbnb Inc. says it will stop representing short-term rental properties in China and focus its business in the country on serving Chinese tourists looking for lodgings abroad. Airbnb joins a series of foreign internet companies including Yahoo Inc. and eBay Inc. that pulled out of China after running into fierce local competition and regulatory barriers. The company’s chief strategy officer said on its social media account the rental service will shut down July 30. He said landlords represented by Airbnb have had more than 25 million guest arrivals since 2016. China has been closed to foreign tourists and has strictly controlled most international travel since the pandemic struck in early 2020.