From the Florida Panhandle to the Black Hills, Here's Where Airbnb Users Are Looking to Travel This Summer

We all just want to get away with friends and family in nature.

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Published on June 5, 2021

With covid cases dropping, more vaccines rolling out, and everyone eager to reunite with family and friends, it's no surprise that travel is on the rebound. And Airbnb knows exactly where everyone wants to go with their newfound freedom.

In May, the home-sharing giant shared its Airbnb Report on Travel & Living, a "comprehensive analysis of Airbnb booking data and consumer research" to reveal how both travel and life are changing. In the report, Airbnb shared a few key trends to find out just where people are planning to go and the unique experiences they're looking for this summer.

Remote family getaways

This summer is all about spending as much quality time with our families as possible. According to Airbnb, "the most popular type of travel is families flocking to remote destinations from their big-city homes." Searches for "family travel," it noted, have spiked from 27% of overall nights booked in summer 2019 to 33% in summer 2021 globally, 31% in the U.S. Of that family travel, 42% of the nights booked are in rural destinations.

Exterior of the Modern A-Frame w/ Hot Tub: Hike, Bike, & ATV airbnb in Lead, SD — Courtesy of Airbnb

Spending time with Mother Nature

While spending time with family reigns supreme, spending time with nature appears to be nearly equally important.

"In 2015, rural travel accounted for less than 10% of nights booked globally on Airbnb, and in 2021, it now accounts for more than double that and is oftentimes triple that in many countries, including Canada (43%), France (45%), the UK (48%), Australia (42%), and the U.S. (28%)," the company noted.

Guests are also looking for more outdoorsy and rural experiences on their international getaways. Top destinations for summer 2021 have moved away from big cities nation by nation, including:

France: from Paris to Var
Italy: from Rome to Sardinia
Korea: from Seoul to Jeju
Spain: from Barcelona to Costa Blanca
UK: from London to Cornwall

And the same trend holds true for the United States. Now, rural stays near national and state parks are the big-ticket items. Here's the list of top trending spots in the U.S., according to Airbnb:

Whitefish Mountain, MT (near Glacier National Park)
South County, RI
Bancroft-Madawaska, Canada (near Algonquin Provincial Park)
Panama City Beach, FL
West Yellowstone, MT (near Yellowstone)
Florida Panhandle
Northern Wisconsin (near Lake Superior and Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest)
Hilton Head Island, SC
Black Hills, SD (near Black Hills National Forest and Mount Rushmore)
Miramar Beach, FL
Park County, MT
Michigan Upper Peninsula (Great Lakes, Hiawatha National Forest)
Acadia National Park, ME

Long-term stays

The one place cities still win out in the hearts of travelers is for long-term stays.

"The top three destinations for long-term stays on Airbnb are all cities," Airbnb shared. "In New York, 62% of summer nights booked in the city are for long-term stays, and in Seattle and Los Angeles, long-term stays are at 40 and 43%, respectively, this summer."

The same data holds true for the rest of the globe as well. Airbnb shared a list of the other major cities leading their respective countries' lists of most popular destinations: