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Airbnb reveals top trending destinations this August bank holiday

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Key Takeaways

  • Bangor, Inverness and Portsmouth emerge as some of the top trending cities for Brits for the upcoming bank holiday weekend
  • Homes that allow pets are among the top searched for amenity for Brits this August bank holiday weekend, along with aircon and pools
  • Prospective Hosts can learn more about how much they could earn by sharing their space on Airbnb through the What’s My Place Worth tool

Key Takeaways

  • Bangor, Inverness and Portsmouth emerge as some of the top trending cities for Brits for the upcoming bank holiday weekend
  • Homes that allow pets are among the top searched for amenity for Brits this August bank holiday weekend, along with aircon and pools
  • Prospective Hosts can learn more about how much they could earn by sharing their space on Airbnb through the What’s My Place Worth tool

Airbnb today reveals the top trending cities for Brits across the UK this bank holiday, with the likes of Bangor, Inverness and Portsmouth attracting travellers with their iconic landmarks and summer shopping sales for the ultimate city staycation.

Bangor, the oldest city in Wales, emerges as one of the travel hotspots this bank holiday, along with Norwich and Hereford for those looking to create a historical travel itinerary. The three cities are known for their cobbled streets and rich heritage, and are perfect for history buffs.

Travellers who enjoy being by the water will feel most at home in Inverness and Portsmouth and should pack their towels for some water-based exploring. For the artsy types, Bristol and Leeds offer rows of vintage shops and cultural hubs for endless fashion inspiration. 

Other city gems piquing the interest of Brits this bank holiday weekend include Aberdeen and Exeter for quaint city strolls and sightseeing.  

Airbnb’s Top Trending UK Cities for the August bank holiday:1

  • Inverness, Scotland
  • Norwich, England 
  • Bristol, England
  • Leeds, England 
  • Portsmouth, England 
  • Bangor, Wales 
  • Hereford, England 
  • Exeter, England
  • Cardiff, Wales 
  • Aberdeen, Scotland

The data also shows that pets are getting invited on the trip as well, as animal-friendly homes are revealed to be one of the most popular searches on the platform over the weekend. 

With Brits betting on warm weather, air conditioning and pools are also among the amenities in high demand.2

A wishlist of unique homes on Airbnb in these trending UK cities can be found here for travel inspiration. For the paw-fect homes to bring your pets, this converted shipping container in Exeter, this tiny eco home by Bangor, and this Shepherd’s Hut in Portsmouth are some of the homes in the destination list that welcome furry friends. 

The newly-introduced Airbnb Categories make it easy to search for unique listings3 for a memorable bank holiday weekend. In the past two years alone, bookings at unique spaces in the UK have increased by over 113 per cent4 on the platform. 

“City escapes are proving popular this bank holiday as Brits look to soak up cultural and shopping hubs for family, friends and solo trips alike. We’re seeing trending cities emerge in lesser-known corners of the UK beyond the typical tourist hotspots, with the staycation trend well and truly here to stay. While we enjoy the last few summer weeks of the year, it’s a great time to consider becoming a Host on the platform to start putting aside extra income ahead of those looming winter bills.”

Amanda Cupples, General Manager for Northern Europe at Airbnb

​​UK Hosts on Airbnb collectively earned more than £1.5 billion last year – £668 million of which was over the summer months – with the typical Host earning just over £6,000. The typical income of £6,000 represents approximately two months of pay for the median UK household. Total earnings for unique stays were also higher than for regular listings, with unique listings collectively earning nearly over £134 million in the UK.

For anyone now interested in hosting this summer, there is still time: new listings that were activated and booked in Q1 2022 are getting booked faster compared to a year ago and prospective Hosts can learn more about how much they could earn by sharing their space on Airbnb through the What’s My Place Worth tool. The interactive tool computes the estimated income based on geography, type of listing, and uses prior Airbnb booking data in the area. For more information, visit Airbnb.com/host.
Read more about: Destinations, Homes, UK

Notes to Editors

All homes in this press release are intended purely to inspire and illustrate. Airbnb does not recommend or endorse these listings or any other homes on the platform.

This press release encourages safe and responsible travel. Local and international travel requirements, as well as health guidelines, continue to change quickly. Check local restrictions at home and in your destination before booking a trip on Airbnb.

1 Based on growth in nights booked in H1 2022, comparing 2019 and 2022

2 Based on searches made in Q2 2022

3 Unique listings are defined by Hosts and include, but are not limited to the following types of listings: barn, boat, castle, campsite, hut, island, plane, shepherd’s hut, train, treehouse, windmill, yurt, etc

4 Total nights booked at unique properties on Airbnb, comparing 2019 vs 2021

Airbnb Categories

Airbnb’s Summer Release unveiled a new way to search designed around Airbnb Categories, making it easy to discover millions of unique homes you never knew existed. When you open Airbnb, you’re presented with 56 categories that organise homes based on their style, location, or proximity to a travel activity. When you search for a destination, your search results are also organised by categories that are relevant to that destination. As you view different categories, the map intelligently zooms to show you where the homes are located. The 56 Airbnb Categories include more than 4 million unique homes that are made possible by our Hosts all around the world. Airbnb Categories organise homes by what makes them unique, which helps people discover places they wouldn’t have otherwise found. This can help alleviate over-tourism by redistributing travel to new locations beyond the same popular destinations.

About Airbnb

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million Hosts who have welcomed over 2 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, Hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.

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