With the Christmas festivities over, January feels like a good time to plan your next getaway – but you don’t have to wait until summer for a break. Booking a holiday in the quieter winter months can be a great way to get a deal on flights and accommodation, and it’s also often better for the communities you visit: it helps to tackle over-tourism and overcrowding, brings in much-needed year-round revenue, and importantly, reduces pressure on communities and local services.
Creating a more sustainable, equitable style of tourism is one of the core tenets of Fairbnb, the alternative booking engine that’s “powered by people, activists and organisations, not faceless investors”. Co-founder Emanuele Dal Carlo sees the site as a paradigm for a different kind of tourism – one that’s more responsive to local needs.
By selecting hosts and properties that conform to its manifesto – for example, by placing limits on listing numbers, and asking local ambassadors to provide community perspectives – the site aims to provide a more ethical alternative to the booking behemoths such as Airbnb and booking.com. The site also donates half of its 15% commission to local community projects at no extra cost to the guest.
Whether it’s a rural or mountainous locale you’re looking for, or something more urban, here are five of our favourite Fairbnbs.
