If getting naked is your thing, then what better time to shed those layers than on vacation?
Just ask Petri and Minna Karjalainen, the co-founders of NaturistBnB, an Airbnb-style booking tool for nudists. Whether you want to sunbathe on a terrace in the nude or enjoy a slice of city life in the buff, their new website has it all.
“I think it’s a really cool opportunity to go to these interesting cities and meet some like minded people and stay together with them,” Petri Karjainen tells CNN Travel.
Clothing optional
The idea, Karjainen explains, stemmed from the couple’s unsuccessful experience as Airbnb hosts trying to promote a clothing-optional homestay.
They decided to start their own venture after realizing that, since they always looked for naturist options when planning vacations, there must be a market for the idea. Petri had experience managing software businesses, and Minna worked as an adviser for a city council’s travel service center.
“If you’re looking for a holiday, if you want to get away from the hustle of work and the hustle in your life, I think it’s a very important factor,” says Karjalainen, who has been a practicing naturist for roughly 20 years.
“We started to think it would actually be cool if there was a booking site, just like Airbnb, but dedicated to this lifestyle,” says Karjalainen. So NaturistBnB was born.
“On our website all of the properties are targeted for naturist lifestyle practicing people,” explains Karjalainen.
New initiative
The 2-month-old website is still in its early stages, but it’s already got plenty of properties on offer.
“People who want to host a guest put up their advertisement on the platform, describe the place, put up some photos and describe the house rules,” explains Karjalainen.
There’s everything from sailboats to tree houses on the site, at various different price points. Karjalainen says he can’t pick a favorite vacation rental, but he likes the city spots.
“Those small places in the middle of the city are some of my favorites at this moment,” he says. “There are a couple of them in London, Amsterdam and New York.”
Keeping up with the Karjalianens
So what makes NaturistBnB different from Airbnb?
“I think the biggest difference is that on our website all of the properties are targeted for naturist lifestyle practicing people,” says Karjalainen. “That means it’s easier to find a place to go if you want to go somewhere. If you try to find similar properties on Airbnb or let’s say a hotel booking site, it’s really difficult to find them.”
The Karjalainens are hopeful that their website will grow in popularity, but they aren’t seeking to challenge Airbnb with its millions of properties. They’re targeting a smaller but devoted audience of naturists across the world.
“We just want to […] offer this opportunity for like minded people to make their life easier,” says Karjalainen.