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That Sleepover on the Great Wall of China Is Not Going to Be a Thing After All

2 minute read

If you were hoping for a chance to stay in an open-air luxury suite on the Great Wall of China, don’t book your plane ticket quite yet. Airbnb has cancelled their stay on the world heritage site.

The home stay company’s Night At program has invited guests to stay in unexpected locations like Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania, a Canadian Taco Bell, and the top of an Olympic ski jump outside Oslo. However after announcing their plans for a Night At the Great Wall where contest winners would win a one night stay in a customized guard tower on the Wall, a multi-course gourmet dinner, and traditional Chinese entertainment, plans have been shelved.

In a statement on their site, Airbnb wrote that while “there was an agreement in place” that lead them to announce the contest, it appears to have been insufficient. The South China Morning Post reports that the governing body, the Beijing Yanqing Cultural Commission, did not support the project as it “is not in line with the Great Wall’s heritage conservation values”.

In the wake of the government’s statement, Airbnb announced that they “made the decision to not move forward with this event,” and apologized to anyone who had already entered the competition. “We partnered with experts to help educate people about the Wall’s heritage and raise awareness of protection and preservation efforts,” Airbnb wrote. “We remain committed to that goal and in the weeks and months ahead, we will be working closely with our hosts and guests in China as well as community leaders to highlight the culture and history that make China one of the most dynamic destinations in the world.”

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