Airbnb said it will pull all of its listings for homes and experiences in the Chinese mainland by July 30 in an announcement published on its official WeChat account Tuesday morning. 

In a letter addressing China's hosts, company co-founder and chairman of Airbnb China Nathan Blecharczyk said that the company will shift its focus to outbound tourism from China, given the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Airbnb homes in China have hosted over 2.5 million visitors since the company launched the business in the country in 2016, according to Blecharczyk. 

The company said that it will exempt service fees for hosts on existing orders from May 23 to July 29.