Hosts Set to Safely Welcome Fourth of July Guests
Fourth of July travelers are hitting the road to experience new destinations just beyond their own backyards. Airbnb encourages everyone to follow the guidance of local officials and travel responsibly. With guests observing that guidance and practicing social distancing, many are looking for listings in places with things to do outside, like nearby trails and other outdoor activities. And guests are looking for the kind of homes Airbnb hosts offer: private homes beyond densely populated tourist and hotel districts where they have a little more space.
As travelers look to responsibly discover places that are close to home this holiday weekend, Airbnb is sharing data that highlights what we see trending across America.
Top Five Travel Trends
Airbnb internal data shows travelers—especially families—are staying nearby and exploring more unique places for their accommodations, like lavish poolside retreats, cozy cabins and dreamy villas, where they can take in fresh mountain air or feel some sunshine beachside. Trends include:
Backyard trips:
Since the beginning of April, over 60 percent of all domestic US bookings have been for trips within 300 miles from the origin.1
Heading to the hills:
Over 20 percent of bookings over the Fourth of July weekend are in listings in rural areas, like the Adirondacks.2 Based on current booking patterns, we expect that no one destination will account for more than 3 percent of guest arrivals in the US over the holiday weekend.3
Family travel:
From June 1 through June 20, US domestic family bookings, which include at least one child, grew by 43 percent compared to the same time last year.4
Unique bookings:
Cabins are among the most-searched listing types for trips during the Fourth of July Weekend. From June 1 through June 20, unique listings and boutique hotels in the US have seen year-over-year growth in nights booked for domestic travel. Specifically: chalets (64 percent), cabins (63 percent), islands (48 percent), barns (42 percent), cottages (37percent), and boutique hotels (53 percent).5
Gen Z trendsetting signals:
Gen Z travelers have shown the strongest interest in unique stays, aligning with the unique bookings data on Airbnb. According to a recent US survey of guests about their first trip back this summer, they also are more likely to “go on an adventure” (20 percent), the highest score across all generations. Plus 2 in 5 Gen Zers (42 percent) say they will travel to reconnect with their favorite people and places.6
Trending Search Destinations
Over the past month, when compared to the previous month, Airbnb has seen more travelers exploring our site, an increase in interest that corresponds with an increase in searches for the destinations that travelers are looking at for a getaway this holiday weekend, which highlight the desire to visit less urban and more rural destinations, including7:
- Adirondacks, Catskills and Hudson Valley in New York
- The Berkshires in Massachusetts
- Coastal New Hampshire
- Northern Minnesota
- South Shore Lake Michigan
- North Carolina’s Outer Banks and Blue Ridge Mountains
Host Offered Amenities
Nationwide, hosts are preparing to welcome guests using this guide highlighting the amenities and features guests care most about when booking a home right now. Pools and “pets allowed” are among the most searched amenities for trips taking place over the Fourth of July weekend.8 In addition, guests are looking for listings with WiFi, kitchens and air conditioning to stay cool and connected during the holiday—and have a safe, private space in which to sit down with family or friends for a home-cooked meal.
Safety
With safety being the number-one concern, we encourage people to follow local public health guidance and local government advisories. Before making plans this holiday weekend, Airbnb is reminding hosts, travelers and policymakers of its new industry-leading Enhanced Cleaning Protocol to support safe and responsible travel.
When it comes to safety, Airbnb internal data shows that 94 percent of all Airbnb guest reviews indicate satisfaction with cleaning, scoring it at four or five stars after their stays. In addition, roughly three out of four guests recently surveyed by Airbnb said they would be more comfortable staying with their families in a listing than in a hotel with other people—as listings provide amenities like private kitchens and laundry facilities, along with offering guests more control over their environment and travel experience.
1 Based on Airbnb internal data measuring the percentage of US domestic trips that are taken within 300 miles from the guest origin from April to June 2020.
2 Based on Airbnb internal data measuring guest arrivals from July 3-5, 2020 in destinations by population and proximity to larger cities.
3 Based on internal Airbnb data measuring percentage of guest arrivals by destination for the weekend of July 3-5, 2020 as of June 22, 2020.
4 Based on Airbnb internal data measuring year-over-year growth of US domestic family bookings (bookings that include at least one child) from June 1-20, 2020, compared to June 1-20, 2019.
5 Based on Airbnb internal data measuring year-over-year growth of nights booked at unique listing types, comparing June 1-20, 2020 to June 1-20, 2019.
6 Based on a May 2020 Airbnb-commissioned survey, conducted by Morning Consult, of 2,200 adults ages 18 and over in the US.
7 Based on Airbnb internal data measuring the year-over-year growth of searches in destinations for July 3-5, 2020 compared to July 4-7, 2019.
8 Based on Airbnb internal data measuring the most searched amenity types for July 3-5, 2020.