With the advent of apps such as Airbnb offering house rentals for people traveling on a budget, many solo female travelers consider this site for their accommodation as they see the world. Since it is an app entirely different from that of a hotel reservation and accommodation, it is suggested to use Airbnb with caution.
According to Stuff, one solo female traveler booked her accommodation through Airbnb. Upon reaching her destination, she was met with her host. Her Airbnb host sported a goatee and his arms were covered with tattoos. He was wearing a backward baseball hat and was wearing a white singlet.
It was her first day in Italy. Her Airbnb host was in his early 20s. This man happened to be the brother of her Airbnb host. When she was shown the booked accommodation as a solo female traveler, she found out that her room was not ready at all. This is fine as she arrived too early.
The host turned out to be a nice person and eventually became one of her friends. Sure, there are a lot of horror stories relating to solo female travelers and Airbnb. There were stories about solo female travelers being drugged by the host and many more.
Airbnb does background checks for those who open up their homes to tourists from all over the world. Airbnb checks hosts for any signs of being sex offenders or anything related to it. It is a stringent process before they are granted permission to open their homes for people.
As added by Skift, all individuals that research spoke to said that there was always clear and accurate communication between the host and the solo female traveler. Everything is clearly described and stated in the profile making a solo female traveler feel comfortable in making a reservation.
Airbnb, since its first launch back 2008 has made it possible to enjoy the world for fraction of a cost compared to staying in hotels. Airbnb doesn't only offer a small room, it offers houses located in idyllic spots.
Yes, it is considerably safe for solo female travelers. It is important though for everyone, solo female traveler or not to maintain clear communication with the possible host before making a reservation. It is also best to check the reviews left by other guests, especially those who were solo female travelers.
