Airbnb reveals its 2023 winter & holiday travel trends

Key Takeaways

This winter, travelers are seeking warm beaches, bustling cities, and snowy chalets
Trending destinations for families span the streets of Tokyo to the beaches of The Bahamas
With the borders re-opened to international travelers, guests are setting their sights on Asia-Pacific countries from Japan to Thailand

Just in time for the busy, holiday travel season¹, Airbnb is releasing its annual winter travel trends, revealing trending² destinations, most booked categories, and stays that travelers are searching for and booking this upcoming season. From warm weather destinations in South America to bustling cities in Japan, travelers are seeking memorable stays in every corner of the globe – the perfect way to create those core memories this holiday season.

Trending destinations worldwide

This winter season, guests are setting their sights on dreamy destinations in Asia-Pacific and South America, from Osaka, Japan to São Paulo, Brazil. With Japan easing border restrictions just last year in October 2022, it’s no surprise that one of the country’s gems, Osaka, is one of the trending destinations for this winter and holiday season. The following locations are just some of the trending global destinations that are catching travelers’ attention, based on worldwide searches from January 1, 2023 to September 15, 2023 for winter and holiday travel.

Osaka, Japan
Hong Kong
Québec City, Canada
Taipei, Taiwan
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Hanover, Germany
Wānaka, New Zealand
São Paulo, Brazil
Muang Pattaya, Thailand
Tokyo, Japan

From a Scandinavian-inspired loft in Hong Kong, to an ocean view home with an infinity pool in Brazil, here are the most wishlisted stays in our top trending destinations this winter:

Entire serviced apartment in Naniwa Ward (Osaka, Japan) — Source: Airbnb

Luxury Loft (Hong Kong, Hong Kong) — Photo by Airbnb

Le Lagöm (Lac-Beauport, Canada) — Source: Airbnb

D Apartment (Datong District, Taiwan) — Source: Airbnb

Unique triplex with rooftop (Palermo, Argentina) — Source: Airbnb

Cozy and Artful House (Hannover, Germany) — Source: Airbnb

Lake View Earth Cottage (Lake Hawea, New Zealand) — Source: Airbnb

Wonderful House with Heated Pool (Ilhabela, Brazil) — Source: Airbnb

The Love Nest Suite (Muang Pattaya, Thailand) — Source: Airbnb

Cozy and Clean Place (Koto-ku, Japan) — Source: Airbnb

Trending family destinations worldwide

Globetrotting families³ are ready to pack their bags and explore new destinations this holiday season, spanning the streets of Tokyo to the beaches of The Bahamas. The diverse representation of destinations demonstrates that Airbnb has something for every type of family. In fact, families can get an Airbnb with two bedrooms and one bathroom for less than the price of one hotel room at a major chain^4. Playfully captured through our recent Get an Airbnb ad, Airbnb offers families the space and privacy they want, at the value they need.

Below are some of the trending destinations by families for check-in between November 1 and December 31, 2023, based on global searches from January 1, 2023 to September 15, 2023⁵.

Tokyo, Japan
Québec City, Canada
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Puerto del Carmen, Spain
São Paulo, Brazil
Puerto del Carmen, Spain
Crucecita, Mexico
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Tignes, France
Nassau, The Bahamas

US travelers seek sun soaked stays

From Oaxaca, Mexico to Nassau, The Bahamas, US travelers are searching for warm weather getaways this winter and holiday season. Below are some of the trending international destinations US travelers are searching for the upcoming season based on global searches from January 1 to September 15, 2023⁶.

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
San Salvador, El Salvador
Oaxaca, Mexico
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Havana, Cuba
La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Nassau, The Bahamas
Cali, Colombia
Culebra, Puerto Rico
São Paulo, Brazil

The US cities trending this winter & holiday season

From Colorado Springs, Colorado to Ludlow, Vermont, the list of US cities trending this winter might be surprising. However, as Airbnb continues to help disperse travel globally, we’re seeing more people opt for smaller cities and towns, beyond urban centers and traditional tourist spots.

Below is an map of some of the top trending cities⁷ in the United States for this winter and holiday season.

Most booked categories for winter and holiday stays

This winter and holiday season, travelers are turning to Airbnb Categories, searching for poolside stays, good surf by the beach and places to play golf, perfect for family travel. Airbnb Categories allow guests to discover millions of unique places to stay around the world, with homes in over 60 different categories based on their style, location, and other factors. Based on bookings from January 1 through September 15, 2023, these were some of the most booked 2023 Airbnb Categories for US guests.

Amazing pools
Beach
Tropical
National parks
Iconic cities
Amazing views
Golfing
Cabins
Countryside
Surfing

Listening to our community

In Airbnb’s recent fall 2023 update, the company highlighted key platform improvements made over the past year, based on community feedback around pricing, cleaning fees, customer service, and better search and filters. These improvements will help travelers have a more seamless travel experience with Airbnb this holiday season and beyond.

Guests can also rely on these Airbnb holiday travel hacks to find the perfect stay for any budget, and any vibe.

^{1. Winter and holiday time period defined as November 1 – December 31 in this post}
^{2. Calculated by growth in global searches in 2023 thru Sept. 15, for checkin between Nov. 1 – Dec. 31, 2023, compared to the same period in 2022}
^{3. Families are defined by searches that involve one or more baby/child}
^{4. Comparing Airbnb’s Q1 2023 ADR for two bedroom, one bathroom listings to an average ADR for Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton based on publicly available Q1 2023 financial reporting.}
^{5. Calculated by growth in global searches in 2023 through September 15, for check-in between November 1-December 31, 2023, compared to the same period in 2022.}
^{6. Calculated by growth in US searches in 2023 through September 15, for check-in between November 1-December 31, 2023, compared to the same period in 2022.}
^{7. Calculated by growth in US searches in 2023 thru Sept. 15, for checkin between Nov. 1 – Dec. 31, 2023, compared to the same period in 2022.}

About Airbnb

Since two hosts welcomed three guests in San Francisco in 2007, Airbnb has grown to over 5 million hosts in nearly every country around the world, hosting more than 1.5 billion guests. With hosts offering unique homes and experiences every day, guests can connect with their communities in a more authentic way.

About Airbnb.org

Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis around the world. Airbnb.org operates independently and leverages Airbnb, Inc.'s technology, services, and other resources at no charge to carry out Airbnb.org's charitable purpose. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a program that allows Hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. Since then, the program has evolved to focus on emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19. Since then, Hosts have offered to open up their homes and helped provide accommodations to 100,000 people in times of need. Airbnb.org is a separate and independent entity from Airbnb, Inc. Airbnb, Inc. does not charge service fees for Airbnb.org supported stays on its platform.

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