Key Highlights
- Definite changes in travel industry for 2021 and beyond, according to Airbnb and AirDNA report
- Five trends both companies expect
Seasonal Travel Now Past Tense
Untethered to locations and calendars by remote working and learning, more and more of us as individuals and families are now free to travel whenever and wherever we choose. According to a recent survey about Airbnb bookings by AirDNA, a short-term rental analytics firm, 25% of travelers are choosing to do so during off-peak seasons and/or days of the week.
Travelers Choosing Close-to-Home Locations
Airbnb’s latest report indicated that over 50% of travelers are planning to go to a local (within 250 miles of home) or domestic place during 2021. Only 21% indicated they’d travel further afield or even go international.
Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb,said, “Wherever we go in 2021, for most of us, it’s won’t be far from home. We will get in cars and travel nearby, dispersing to smaller cities, towns, and rural communities, making tourism an important part of how local economies recover.
“Pod” and/or Extended Family Traveling To Be “Big” in 2021
Both non-related or “chosen” and extended families have “isolated” together during the pandemic in what we’re calling “pod” families. More and more of these pod families are now choosing to travel together.
Hosts with larger, more spacious single-family units able to accommodate pod families did “best” in 2020, according to AirDNA. The company is projecting that these larger pod or family groups will outperform other traveling segments within Airbnb’ smorgasbord of single-family offerings in 2021.
Travelers Opting for Longer Stays
Prior to the pandemic, bookings of one to seven days represented 80% of Airbnb’s traffic. Since the pandemic, that short-term bookings share has dropped to just 30%.
Travelers want to stay longer since they can now work and learn remotely. Plus, when travelers “get out,” they want to “stay out” longer.
Airbnb is recommending that their hosts readjust their host schedules to accommodate longer stays
2021 is Year of “More Meaningful” Travel
According CEO Chesky, “In 2021, travel will be less about where you go and when you go, and more about who you are with and what you can do together…Once people feel safe to travel, they will…Travel will be viewed as an antidote to isolation and disconnection…What people want from travel now is what they’ve been deprived of – spending meaningful time with their family and friends.”
What are Rental Property Hosts and Investors to do in 2021?
- Offer discounts for long-term stays
- Offer great Wi-Fi and dedicated work/learn stations
- Offer pet-friendly homes
- Consider choosing larger homes with full kitchens, washers/dryers and home-like amenities and appliances
Thanks to Airbnb, AirDNA and Millionacres.
