A new report issued by Airbnb has shown the popularity and demand for holidaymakers to hire apartments and houses instead of hotels.
In its report with think tank Centre for London, the website found 85% of its guests had booked through Airbnb because they wanted to ‘live like locals’, while 83% said they found hotels didn’t offer the amenities they wanted.
These views were supported when the research found Airbnb customers spend more than double the amount in cities than regular visitors, spending GBP911 on average during a three-night trip instead of the usual GBP434.
This may be partly due many of the 14, 424 Airbnb hosts in the UK are living outside of central areas, with 70% of bookings taken in neighbourhoods that are not associated with tourism. This then requires the stayer to travel further into city centres.
“This study shows that Airbnb guests stay longer, spend more, and explore new neighbourhoods,” said economist Dr. Margarethe Theseira. “This undoubtedly has a positive impact on cities and residents across the UK.”
Concerns have been raised about Airbnb’s safety standards and legislation regarding short-term rentals, but the report nevertheless shows the interest in staying in a ‘home from home’ environment that offers a localised feeling.
David Nicholson, chief executive of soon-to-launch Visit Rentals believes that increased awareness of the serviced apartment market could help travel agents take advantage of these growing trends.
“Travel agents think the term ‘serviced apartment’ means their clients will pick up a key from a landlord and are left to their own devices, but by being ‘serviced’ it actually includes a lot more,” he explained. “Serviced apartments include a hotel-style information desk; are often in central locations and can vary from one to multiple rooms meaning they are a great option for holidaymakers.”
Villa self-catering accommodation is already popular in Mediterranean but the city apartment model is yet to have been fully embraced by the UK travel trade.
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