Airbnb cancels Great Wall sleepover festival

The Chinese Wall Symbol copyright airbnb.com Symbol caption The Great Wall stretches for lots of kilometres throughout northern China

Airbnb has known as off a competition offering to chance to spend an evening at the Nice Wall of China.

The ad campaign asked other folks to jot down a 500-phrase essay on overcoming cultural obstacles and promised a “as soon as-in-a-lifetime” probability for the winner.

But the plan sparked blended comments and issues that it could contribute to the ancient structure being damaged.

And in step with Chinese media, Airbnb had by no means won approval from native government to run the development.

Airbnb said it “deeply revered the feedback” and so had “made the decision not to move forward with this experience”.

Image copyright airbnb.com Symbol caption The lodging came with a promise of entertainment and education

There additionally have been serious worries the ancient construction might be damaged by the development.

Others said it used to be flawed for a firm like Airbnb to milk the landmark for promoting and PR purposes.

according to Chinese Language state media, the cultural commission in Beijing’s Yanqing district which oversees the stretch of the wall the place the sleepover was deliberate, said it was once now not conscious about the event and no approval have been given.

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Airbnb stated in a press release on Wednesday that “whilst there was an agreement in place that used to be the foundation for the assertion of this experience” it was once now being cancelled, it appears as a result of the feedback.

“certainly one of the objectives of our Evening At The Good Wall was to spotlight how everybody can play a component in honoring and retaining this improbable piece of global historical past,” it said, stressing that the company had worked with professionals to assist teach people concerning the wall and upkeep efforts.

One man’s mission to walk The Wall with a drone the primary men to stroll the nice Wall

Individuals Who had entered the contest can be contacted about alternative ways they could “explore and uncover wonderful reports in China”, it mentioned.

Night at the nice Wall was once the most recent case of Airbnb providing distinctive spots by way of user competitions.

Previous such locations included staying on a reef in the great Barrier reef, in a analysis submarine from the Blue Planet II or the fort of ancient determine at the back of the Dracula legend in Romania.

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