Airbnb launches 'Welcome to Halmywood' campaign with ATEEZ's San to turn rural grandparents' homes into stays

A new initiative aims to breathe life into South Korea's rural communities by turning the everyday homes and lifestyles of elderly residents into distinctive travel destinations.

Global accommodation platform Airbnb announced Thursday it is launching the "Welcome to Halmywood" campaign with ATEEZ member San, inviting families to convert their rural grandparents' homes into listed accommodations.

Applications sharing family stories will be accepted through Dec. 31, with one finalist selected to receive a full space makeover along with support for registering and operating the property as an Airbnb listing.

The campaign was conceived to transform the daily lives and homes of elderly rural residents into tourism assets, giving people a reason to visit the countryside and injecting vitality into local communities.

ATEEZ member San is joining the campaign as its ambassador. Having visited his grandparents' home on foot every day as a child — just a 10-minute walk away — San appears in a campaign video encouraging families to apply, delivering the message that an elderly person's daily life and rural home can itself become a travel destination. Behind-the-scenes footage of San's visit to the countryside will be posted in installments on the official campaign page over two weeks.

The final selection will be based on the relatability of the family's story, the symbolic value of the space, and the feasibility of operating it as a listing, with particular weight given to the potential for revitalizing the local community through ties with regional authorities.

The winning family will receive support to style the space using an upcycling approach — preserving existing furniture and decorative items rather than undertaking a full renovation — along with access to platform management tools and a co-host network.

In addition, the selected team will have the opportunity to travel abroad in 2027 to stay at Airbnb properties overseas and learn hosting know-how from local hosts. Upon returning, the grandparents will begin operating their newly renovated home as an Airbnb.

Families wishing to apply may submit their stories through the online application portal by 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31. A panel of judges will review submissions and conduct on-site visits before selecting one finalist, with results to be announced individually in January 2027.

Seo Ga-yeon, Airbnb Korea country manager, said the campaign aims to spark a virtuous cycle in which the everyday lives, personalities and family memories of elderly residents become a reason for people to visit the countryside — and in turn inspire more local residents to become Airbnb hosts, bringing new energy to their communities.