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Labor Day is one of the busiest times of the year on Airbnb, and the company claims it’s seeing more interest in trips to the beach and homes with high-end pools this weekend.
College football also played a role in attracting people to the top most sought-after market on the top 10 list this year.
The short-term rental platform said Sept. 4, 2021 — the start of Labor Day weekend — shouldered the largest number of guests checking into a U.S.-based home on Airbnb last year.
Last year, hosts earned a collective $300 million over the long weekend alone, with the median host earning $750. Given the upward trends in both average daily rates and in the number of people traveling and staying in short-term rentals, it’s a safe bet to expect earnings to increase this year.
More people are traveling solo this year, up about 20 percent compared to last year, Airbnb said in a report released ahead of the holiday weekend.
The company said its new features that help nudge travelers to book stays in areas they might not have known about are working.
One of those features includes categorizing houses by the unique features they offer, such as beachside access, nice backyard pools and a few dozen other attributes.
Those changes went live this year, and the company said it’s seeing interest this weekend in short-term rentals near the beach and others that have nice pools.
This year, Columbus is the most sought-after market for the long weekend. That may be because Columbus, home to The Ohio State University, sees its No. 2 ranked football team battle No. 5 ranked Notre Dame.
Here are the cities Airbnb says are the top U.S. destinations for travelers this Labor Day, based on most nights booked for the long weekend, as well as the average daily rate and occupancy rate from AirDNA:
Columbus, Ohio
Average daily rate: $157
Occupancy rate: 59 percent
Raleigh, North Carolina
Average daily rate: $168
Occupancy rate: 68 percent
Tampa, Florida
Average daily rate: $161
Occupancy rate: 72 percent
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
Average daily rate: $254
Occupancy rate: 77 percent
Jacksonville, Florida
Average daily rate: $160
Occupancy rate: 67 percent
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Average daily rate: $240
Occupancy rate: 77 percent
San Francisco
Average daily rate: $240
Occupancy rate: 80 percent
Reno
Average daily rate: $203
Occupancy rate: 68 percent
Saint Petersburg, Florida
Average daily rate: $210
Occupancy rate: 78 percent
North Charleston, South Carolina
Average daily rate: $196
Occupancy rate: 74 percent