After more than a year of most Americans staying home, a largely vaccinated mass is looking to hit the road this summer.
Airbnb has examined booking and survey data and released the Airbnb Report on Travel & Living, a comprehensive analysis that reveals how guests are going from traveling at all the same times to all the same places, to living anywhere at any time, for however long.
Of note, family travel has spiked from 27 percent of overall nights booked in summer 2019 to 33 percent in summer 2021 globally and 31 percent in the U.S.
Based on domestic bookings, Airbnb reports that rural stays near national and state parks, the Great Lakes and white sand beaches are all trending this summer compared to summer 2019. The top destinations on Airbnb for summer 2021 include:
- Whitefish Mountain, MT (near Glacier National Park)
- South County, RI
- Bancroft-Madawaska, Canada (near Algonquin Provincial Park)
- Panama City Beach, FL
- West Yellowstone, MT (near Yellowstone)
- Florida Panhandle
- Northern Wisconsin (near Lake Superior and Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest)
- Hilton Head Island, SC
- Black Hills, SD (near Black Hills National Forest and Mount Rushmore)
- Miramar Beach, FL
- Park County, MT
- Michigan Upper Peninsula (Great Lakes, Hiawatha National Forest)
- Acadia National Park
Even when looking at the international market, travelers tend to be opting in for smaller towns outside of big cities, including:
- France: From Paris to Var
- Italy: From Rome to Sardinia
- Korea: From Seoul to Jeju
- Spain: From Barcelona to Costa Blanca
- UK: From London to Cornwall
It’s not all bad news for big cities. The report notes that when travelers elect to head to cities, they are doing so for longer stays. The top three destinations for long-term stays on Airbnb are New York, (62 percent of summer nights booked in the city are for long-term stays), Seattle (40 percent long-term stays) and Los Angeles (43 percent long-term stays).