Updates: Welcoming travelers to the US, poll shows PTO highly available

Welcoming Travelers to the United States

Earlier today, U.S. officials announced that fully vaccinated travelers from abroad will be free to travel to the United States beginning November 8, 2021. This announcement is great news for the Airbnb community, including Hosts who stand ready to welcome travelers from around the world. Hosting offers tremendous economic benefits, and anyone interested in Hosting can visit Airbnb.com/Host to learn more.

New Polling

In September, we commissioned a poll of 7,500 consumers in the United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, France and Australia. Sixty-eight percent of respondents agreed that after the pandemic, the world is never going back to the way it was in 2019 — and the people we polled made clear that flexible travel is the future. Eighty-seven percent said having flexibility is important when they travel, while 49 percent said they will plan more trips with flexible dates.  

Finally, many of these travelers have been saving their vacation days, and even hearing from their employers that they need to use their time off or lose it. Fifty percent of Americans have been saving their vacation days during the pandemic, and 29 percent of Americans are in danger of losing vacation days if they don’t use them. 36 percent have heard from their HR departments that they need to use their vacation time.

Unique Listings

When it comes time to use those vacation days, 21 percent of travelers said unique accommodations appeal to them. Airbnb gives travelers the flexibility to plan a trip that works for them, and access to out-of-the-ordinary spaces — from farms and yurts, to islands and tree houses. Heading into the fall and winter, guests are continuing to design their trips around these special places, with the space — not the exact location — becoming the destination. 

In the first half of 2021, nights booked at unique listings grew 45 percent compared to 2019, and the number of searches for unique listings grew 94 percent compared to the same period in 2019. 

The following types of unique listings are some of the most popular on Airbnb: 

• Farm stays: over 44,000 active listings, 43% growth since 2019
• Tiny houses: over 29,000 active listings, 89% growth since 2019
• Huts: 8,200 active listings, 32% growth since 2019
• Earth houses: 6,400 active listings, 39% growth since 2019
• Barns: over 5,800 active listings, 51% growth since 2019
• Yurts: 3,100 active listings, 25% growth since 2019
• Tree houses: over 2,900 active listings, 33% growth since 2019
• Houseboats: 2,100 active listings, 33% growth since 2019
• Islands: 1,700 active listings, 30% growth since 2019

In recognition of this demand, as part of a major update to our product earlier this year, Airbnb launched Flexible Destinations, a new way to plan trips when finding a unique place to stay is more important than traveling to a specific destination. Airbnb’s adaptable platform enables us to quickly innovate in response to the fast-shifting travel preferences of our guests.

The increased guest demand for the out-of-the-ordinary stay — and the opportunity this has created for Hosts with special spaces to share — has also driven the growth of unique listing supply and unique listing Hosts have collectively earned more than $300 million globally since the start of the pandemic.

And for those thinking about booking a unique stay, find some inspiration by checking out some of the most wishlisted unique stay listings from each of our most popular accommodation types. 

• Farm: Arbor Crest Cottage- Farm Stay
• Tiny House: The Lily Pad – Hocking Hills- Shipping Container
• Hut: Unique glamping experience near Ely & Cambridge
• Earth House: Underground Hygge
• Barn: Dream Rock Silo – Independence, Virginia
• Yurt: YURT*MTNRetreat
• Treehouse: Treehouse hosted by Avner & Maskit
• Houseboat: Modern Houseboat On the water
• Island: Exclusive Private Island + Brother Island, El Nido