Restrictions make kitchens, washing machines, and rooms unlockable: Chinese tourists are "discriminated against" by white landlords
Recently, a controversy involving racial discrimination has caused waves in New Zealand's Airbnb community. Ms. Chen, a Chinese tourist, was subjected to a series of unfair treatment by a white landlord after booking a 19-night stay, which sparked widespread concern and discussion.
According to Ms. Chen, she was asked to wear a mask by her host at the beginning of her stay, and this requirement was only for her personal, and other guests were not subject to such restrictions. Even more puzzlingly, the landlord also imposed a number of additional restrictions on her, such as restricting her access to common spaces, kitchens, and washing machines. These regulations clearly go against the principles of a fair and comfortable stay provided by Airbnb.
In addition, Ms. Chen found that the interior door of her room could not be locked, and the landlord could enter and exit at will, which undoubtedly posed a serious threat to her privacy and security. After feeling this injustice, Ms. Chen decisively chose to move out overnight and complained to the Airbnb platform.
In this case, the landlord argued that the mask requirement was based on public health concerns, not racial discrimination. However, this explanation is obviously untenable in the eyes of netizens. Some netizens pointed out that if it is really due to public health concerns, then all tenants should be subject to the same requirements, and not just Ms. Chen.
This incident not only revealed the loopholes in the protection of user rights and interests of sharing economy platforms such as Airbnb, but also rekindled people's attention to the issue of racial discrimination. In a multicultural country like New Zealand, any form of discrimination should not be tolerated. It is hoped that this incident will attract the attention of relevant departments and take effective measures to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.
At the same time, we also call on the majority of tourists to choose a formal and reputable accommodation platform when traveling, and bravely stand up to defend their rights and interests when encountering unfair treatment. Only in this way can we work together to create a fair and friendly tourism environment.