Scott Powers
Citing its own data, vacation rental marketing platform Airbnb says that the growing trend of untethered adults joining a “live anywhere” movement are most often picking Florida hibernations.
Airbnb says long-term reservations show a mixture of traditional snowbird retirees and younger professionals who are not tethered to locations are competing for extended stay vacation rentals starting this spring.
Top destinations for such long-term stays in Airbnb’s system: South Florida’s Gulf Coast; Phoenix, Arizona; Central Florida’s Gulf Coast; South Florida’s Atlantic Coast; and Orlando.
Airbnb says its reservation trends show remote and hybrid work, popularized during the coronavirus pandemic of the past two years, has been “driving the biggest change to travel since the advent of commercial flying.” As a result, the company is seeing a trend of adults in their 30s seeking long-term accommodations.
That trend was apparent in mid-2020.
The marketing platform said one of every five gross nights booked in the third quarter of 2021 were for stays of 28 days or longer. In the 12 months through September 2021, more than 100,000 Airbnb guests booked stays of 90 days or longer.
Airbnb also reported bookings of atypical residences such as RVs, earth houses and tiny houses have more than doubled for the coming spring among long-term guests, regardless of their age, compared to the previous spring.
For family stays, Orlando tops the company’s bookings list. Airbnb said families are seeking theme parks and child-friendly amusements, as well as a sunny, warm beach. Consequently, Florida is dominating.
The company’s list of top family destinations this spring: Orlando; South Florida’s Gulf Coast; Central Florida’s Gulf Coast; Phoenix; Maui, Hawaii; the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee; South Florida’s Atlantic Coast; Oahu, Hawaii; and Miramar Beach.
The company also reported international travel continued to show signs of recovery throughout 2021, including a 35% increase in the fourth quarter. Paris is the top-sought destination, followed by Florence, Italy; Rome; Madrid; and Whistler, British Columbia.
