According to the latest 2022 Travel Trends Report by award-winning hospitality management software developer, Cloudbeds, destinations with plenty of outdoor offerings, made popular during the pandemic as a way to practice social distancing, are set to stay on trend this year. Cloudbeds analysed data from a range of sources including Airbnb and STR to establish changes in the UK market post-Covid. The data revealed that rural getaways and trips to smaller towns and cities remain on top, with Airbnb stating that mountain (18%), coastal (42%), and rural (22%) destinations made up the majority of summer 2021 bookings. All of these travel options increased compared to pre-pandemic years.
As a natural extension of this preference for smaller cities and outdoor destinations, travellers have also tended to prefer smaller properties which offer more privacy and lower risk of Covid exposure. Since the start of the pandemic, STR reported a positive net gain interest of 10-15% for short-term/holiday rentals and small hotels (less than 50 rooms).
