Airbnb Just Released Its Top Destinations of Summer — Here's Where People Are Heading
People are raring to travel this summer. If you need a little proof of that, just look to Airbnb; the platform says it's already helped people plan vacations in more than 72,000 towns and cities across the globe this summer.
On May 11, Airbnb released its summer travel highlights report, which includes a few interesting insights into our collective travel patterns. According to the newly released Airbnb report, people are looking to get out and explore for longer periods of time. In a statement, Airbnb shared that long-term stay bookings are at an all-time high, with Q1 2022 bookings at more than double Q1 2019 bookings. Nearly half the bookings for Q1 this year were for one week or more.
Travelers, the home rental company revealed, are also looking to spend those long getaways in one-of-a-kind spots. Its "Unique" listings feature has shown notable gains, so much so that Airbnb is also introducing an all-new site design built around Airbnb Categories to make it easier for its users to find those once-in-a-lifetime stays. This includes new design categories, such that users can specifically search for, say, A-frame homes, farm stays, historic castles, domes, and more. The design collection has more than 20,000 homes chosen for their architecture and interiors.
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Beyond searching for these special spots, Airbnb says its users are also searching for homes in less frequented destinations. In Q1 2022, a spokesperson for the company shared in a statement, "our top 10 cities represented 8% of revenue, down from 12% in Q1 2019. And when guests diversify their destinations, they also spread Host earnings more widely."
So, where exactly are people searching and booking? According to Airbnb, U.S. travelers looking to go international had their sights set on Venice, Italy. Top trending international destinations for U.S.-based Airbnb users included Venice, Italy (No. 1); Nassau, The Bahamas; Capri, Italy; Puerto Escondido, Mexico; and Tamarindo, Costa Rica, among others.
Domestically, U.S. users are clearly hungry for a sunny beach getaway. The top trending domestic destinations include Walton County, Florida; Cape San Blas, Florida; Mexico Beach, Florida; Fort Myers, Florida; Stonington, Connecticut; Cape Coral, Florida; Forks, Washington; Big Sur, California; Four Corners, Florida; and Hampton Bays, New York
That's not to say people aren't also thinking about inland adventures. Airbnb added in its statement, "Although guests continue to seek coastal listings for their summer travel (half of nights are booked at listings within 5 km/3 miles of the coast), nights booked at more inland listings located over 100km/62 miles from the coast have grown over 40% in quarter one of 2022 compared to quarter two of 2019. Similarly, nights booked at listings with the smallest population density have grown the most over the same time period."
One more rather sweet thing the survey noted is the fact that we're finally getting to travel with our loved ones again. Airbnb added in its summer findings that family travel is at an all-time high. "Most summer travel won't be solo, with the majority expecting to travel with family," the statement said.
