Kelly Hayes
Two Florida beaches have landed as top destinations for Airbnb users looking to travel this spring and summer.
A recent report of Airbnb search data shows Cape San Blas and Grayton Beach are among the top destinations being sought, along with Southern Maine; Cape May, New Jersey; and Round Top, Texas. The report provided the top destinations based on growth in searches for trips set for March through August of this year.
Cape San Blas, located in Gulf County, is home to St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, which was named the best beach in America in 2002. Grayton Beach, also in Northwest Florida, sits along the Gulf of Mexico between Pensacola and Panama City. It is home to a designated Blue Wave Beach and Grayton Beach State Park.
The hosting app is seeing a surge in travelers looking to return to the road, giving credit to President Joe Biden’s plan to get the nation back outside by July 4. According to Airbnb, guests are increasingly looking for ways to safely reunite and meaningfully connect with loved ones.
Searches for stays with outdoor spaces for families and intimate gatherings are also surging compared to last year, with the top three trending amenities being patios and balconies, which has reported a 35x increase, gardens or backyards, reporting an 8x increase, and barbecue areas for small Forth of July gatherings, reporting a 19x increase.
According to the report, users of the app looking to travel are searching for “nontraditional stays” — those that offer plenty of privacy and outdoor space. A recent Airbnb survey found 84% of respondents were open to exploring unique and remote lodgings for a future trip, with cabins, barns and treehouses ranking at the top of the list.
News of a surge in traveling follows a recent report by the hosting app that found hosts earned $1 billion during the pandemic, earning an average of $7,900 per year.
