More evidence that hygiene is becoming an important indicator for brands to use in their marketing and distribution strategy, as Airbnb indicates the number of properties that have passed a new grading system.
The private accommodation giant, which is now on the road to a formal listing on the public financial markets, says 1.2 million listings have cleared its Enhanced Cleaning Protocol.
The program was launched in June in a bid to showcase properties that had demonstrated enhanced hygiene standards and cleaning, or set booking buffers between guests.
It is now available in 220 countries and regions, Airbnb says, with the U.S., France, U.K, Spain and Italy the top five with the highest number of listings with the new protocol.
The company claims that listings using the scheme are securing three times more bookings than other properties on the platform.
The average star rating for those listings is 4.8, it says.
The program provides educational materials and guidelines for the cleaning and sanitization of homes based on information from the U.S. and European Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a former surgeon general of the United States.
Airbnb has also added guidelines about mask-wearing and social distancing.
The company says it is working with a cleaning and hygiene technology company, Diversey, which has endorsed the protocol and is developing more solutions for the future.
Hosts - including those that share private rooms - who complete a quiz and attest to the Enhanced Cleaning Protocol receive a special highlight on their listing to let guests know they have committed to the routine.