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Airbnb has made a significant impact on the hospitality and tourism industry since its inception in 2008. However, due to the pandemic, global tourism experienced an unprecedented decline of 70 percent, leading to a significant transformation in the patterns and preferences in travel overall. As individuals gained greater freedom and adaptability once Covid restrictions lifted, their travel habits shifted, allowing for more flexible schedules, diverse destinations, and extended stays. Though many individuals returned to urban areas and popular international destinations following the pandemic, there is an enduring prevalence of distributed travel trends, which refers to a travel pattern or trend where tourists and travelers disperse themselves across a wider range of destinations rather than concentrating in a few popular or mainstream locations. Instead of flocking to major tourist hotspots, distributed travel encourages exploring lesser-known or off-the-beaten-path destinations, including smaller cities, small towns, and unique urban neighborhoods. It emphasizes a more diverse and balanced distribution of visitors, benefiting a broader range of destinations and fostering tourism growth beyond traditional hubs.
Recently, Airbnb published data showcasing how their platform contributes to fostering sustainable, affordable, and immersive travel experiences. They achieve this by distributing guests and benefits not only within cities but also extending beyond overcrowded tourist hotspots. The focus is on emerging communities that are gaining popularity and may have limited or no hotel options available. Because Airbnb hosts are the primary- if not the only- providers of local accommodation and drivers of local tourism, they were able to provide housing for more than 44 million guests in areas where there are no hotels, which generated more than $10.5 billion in Host earnings. Thus, influencing guests to spend time and money in local bars, restaurants, tours, museums, and attractions in these smaller cities and towns. Based on Airbnb’s data, roughly 65 percent of US Census tracts had Airbnb listings in 2022 but lacked any hotel presence. This indicates that guests have a significantly broader range of travel options when utilizing Airbnb, as compared to hotels, which are typically concentrated in more popular and heavily visited areas.
It’s clear that one of Airbnb’s goals is to help support small cities and towns that may have flown under the radar when guests are booking trips. Airbnb firmly believes that their initiatives, resulting in guest expenditures within these areas, contribute to the development of significant microeconomies. Notably, since the onset of the pandemic, more than 2,100 cities and towns across the United States have welcomed their first Airbnb bookings. The report shows the “Top-booked US cities and towns with their first Airbnb booking in Q1 2023”, which include:
- Bailey, NC
- Independence, WI
- Fort Branch, IN
- Pine Level, NC
- Des Allemands, LA
- Seneca, IL
- Rockdale, WI
- Windsor, SC
- Ulen, IN
- Pulaski, MI
It’s interesting to see how Airbnb is encouraging affordable, sustainable and accessible travel for a wide range of travelers, as well as highlighting smaller cities that have previously gone unnoticed due to a lack of hotel options. Airbnb’s overarching objective of positively influencing the microeconomics of smaller cities and towns highlights their commitment to achieving a more diverse and balanced distribution of visitors. This approach brings benefits to a wider array of destinations, fostering tourism growth beyond the boundaries of conventional hubs. By promoting travel to lesser-known areas, Airbnb aims to create a more inclusive and dynamic tourism landscape.
