While the country has hardly gone back to business as usual, that hasn't stopped some people from planning their next getaway. In fact, new data released by Airbnb this week shows that from May 17 to June 6, 2020 there were more nights booked at Airbnbs in the US than during the same time period last year.
The data comes from a survey commissioned by Airbnb among 2,200 adults in the US. Nearly half of respondents said they're looking at destinations closer to home for their first trip post-lockdown and the percentage of bookings made on Airbnb within 200 miles has gone up from one-third of all bookings (in February) to over half (in May), according to the report. In addition, you won't find any big cities on the list. Instead, East Coast beach towns, desert escapes, national parks and mountain lakes—all with plenty of fresh air and space for social distancing—rank in the top 10.
Here are the most popular destinations booked during that time:
- Big Bear Lake, CA
- Miramar Beach, FL
- Panama City Beach, FL
- Smoky Mountains
- Hilton Head Island, SC
- Destin, FL
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- Branson, MO
- Palm Springs Desert, CA
- Port Aransas, TX
In April, Airbnb announced a new multi-tier Enhanced Cleaning Initiative which overhauls host cleaning protocols. This month, the company is also rolling out a search feature which will let users easily identify which listings participate in the rigorous new sanitization procedures and offer booking buffer windows intended to space out stays for added safety.
Though doctors and experts regard renting private homes as a low-risk, especially when compared to hotels, it's still best to wear masks, practice social distancing, and clean as often as possible if you're going to leave your home. If you have questions, we break down what you can do and should do, per CDC guidelines, in this feature.
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