Airbnb reveals ‘Tour tourism’ is driving holiday spending
Key Takeaways
- New Airbnb data reveals a 744% spike in bookings on average for UK towns hosting the world’s biggest music artists this summer, demonstrating the power of ‘tour tourism’.
- Airbnb hosts enable cities and towns to accommodate increased footfall from music, sports and cultural events, which contribute £28 billion annually to the UK economy.
- With two in five hosts motivated to share their space during major events, locals in the surrounding areas are also set to boost their income this summer.
Key Takeaways
- New Airbnb data reveals a 744% spike in bookings on average for UK towns hosting the world’s biggest music artists this summer, demonstrating the power of ‘tour tourism’.
- Airbnb hosts enable cities and towns to accommodate increased footfall from music, sports and cultural events, which contribute £28 billion annually to the UK economy.
- With two in five hosts motivated to share their space during major events, locals in the surrounding areas are also set to boost their income this summer.
Ahead of the UK hosting some of the biggest music tours and sporting events this summer, Airbnb reveals the impact of ‘Tour Tourism’, which contributes an estimated £28 billion annually to the UK economy1. As consumers prioritise spending on experiences over material goods – with spend on travel, entertainment and hospitality/leisure up 5.7%, 3.5% and 2.8% respectively year-on-year2 – hosting on Airbnb enables towns and cities to benefit from welcoming additional visitors during concerts, sporting events and cultural festivals.
Two in five UK Airbnb hosts want to share their space when big events are happening in their area to take advantage of the increased footfall and boost their income3. With almost half (48%) of guests following a local recommendation for dining, shopping or activities from their host last year4, small businesses in the surrounding community are set to benefit too.
Welcoming the next Era of passion tourism
Bookings on Airbnb for UK towns and cities hosting some of the world’s biggest music acts this summer soared 744%5 on average across the concert nights. New research finds that a quarter of consumers (23%)6 would travel for concerts, and Airbnb can reveal which stars are leading the way.
Sabrina Carpenter’s tour brought a Short ‘n’ Sweet tourism boost to locals in Glasgow and Manchester, who welcomed an 88% and +2000% year-on-year spike in guest bookings respectively for their concert nights, as people set out on trips to the cities they may not have otherwise visited7. Meanwhile Doha, Dusseldorf, Naples and Brisbane are the leading cities that international fans have travelled to the UK from during the star’s concert dates8.
Following on from the ‘Tour Tourism’ trend that swept the globe during the Era’s tour, searches by UK guests for stays in Paris (+550%), Berlin (+1500%) and Brussels (1400%) shot up during Carpenter’s tour nights9 as fans built entire trips abroad around catching the Espresso singer’s live show.
During Coldplay’s tour dates in London, searches spiked on average 800% across their concerts, with overseas bookings for the British gigs stemming from Madrid and Paris all the way to Hong Kong and NYC10 – a testament to the band’s enduring global appeal. But of course it’s the long awaited Oasis reunion concerts driving the hottest travel demand for music fans this Summer. Searches for host cities Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester and London were up over 6000% on average for the concert nights, with Manchester seeing the biggest spikes and an increase of over 7200% for the city’s final concert dates11.
As the crowning jewel in the UK’s music scene, Glastonbury will always draw a passionate base of international music fans from far and wide. But this year, it’s all about finding a balance of R&R with South Somerset seeing a 108% uplift in bookings for the week after the festival as people leave their tents behind to recover and unwind with friends in a more luxurious stay12.
Major sporting events drive fans to travel thousands of miles
It’s not just live music that is attracting crowds from abroad; sports fans are travelling for their favourite events too. When it comes to iconic British sporting moments, tennis fans are famously dedicated. As well as preparing to camp overnight for Wimbledon ground entry, fan searches on Airbnb for stays in London during the tournament this Summer shot up over 1000% year-on-year when the ballot was selected13. International guests from Sydney and Abu Dhabi are covering thousands of miles to be at the iconic tournament, while there have also been uplifts in bookings from Italian, Dutch and Belgian guests – leading the charge for international travellers looking to sample the Pimms and major matches IRL this year.
Rounding out the calendar for travelling sports fans, searches for Airbnb stays in Buckinghamshire increased 61% year-on-year over the weekend of this summer’s Silverstone Grand Prix, with guests from cities in Belgium and Florida topping the table of international visitors expected to attend14. Female fans are leading the way for ‘lights out and away we go’ stays – making up the majority of guest bookings for both Buckinghamshire and Northampton the weekend of the Grand Prix15.
Luke Impett, Airbnb UK Partnerships Lead commented: “This summer is set to be a monumental occasion for events in the UK with the economy expected to benefit from the current cultural prominence of ‘fandom’. Airbnb is at the heart of connecting travellers with the things they love – whether it be music, sport or culture. With tour tourism on the rise and more guests travelling to pursue their passions, we’re proud to support hosts across the country to boost their income, promote their local area, and help local communities benefit from additional visitors.”