Government
Can Airbnb Disrupt the Cuban Embargo?
Apps make traveling in unfamiliar places easier on Americans. That could turn out to be a real force for change in the Communist republic.
Airbnb announced today that it will be one of the first companies in the U.S. to begin operating in Cuba following the recent thaw initiated by the administrations of President Barack Obama and President Raúl Castro. As of this writing, there are 610 rentals available in Havana alone: from a cozy bedroom in the trendy Miramar corridor ($49 per night) to a "holiday sanctuary" tucked 20 minutes outside the Old Quarters ($1,000 per night).
This is how the U.S. embargo against Cuba falls: Not with a bang or a whimper, but with a click and a confirmation.