Like all travel operators, Airbnb – including its hosts and guests – have had to navigate the challenges of cancellations and uncertainty about future plans.
But even before we started seeing the easing of travel restrictions it seems travellers were super keen to get back on the road.
Airbnb searches in Australia increased sharply last month, reports Property Update.
Globally, Airbnb reported a spike in domestic bookings in Europe – even in some of the hardest hit countries, reports Forbes.
What kind of impact will this have on Australia’s property market? Crystal balls are not overly reliable at the best of times, let alone during an unprecedented global pandemic.
But there will be many people who have a strong interest in seeing Airbnb get back on its feet.
Before the COVID lockdowns hit hard, The Conversation reported Australia had 346,581 unique Airbnb properties listed at least once between July 2016 and February 2019.
In any given month, between 100,000 and 130,000 properties were listed as Airbnbs, reported ABC news.
It’s not just Airbnb hosts and guests who want to get travelling again.
Property investors with long term rentals in popular traveller markets will also be watching carefully to see if Airbnb hosts convert their short term accommodation to long term lets, increasing supply.
Should that happen it’s not great news for landlords, but long term renters will enjoy more choice and potentially lower rents.
For now, it’s too early to tell. But this month’s move to permit unlimited travel and overnight stays for all Queensland is no doubt welcome news for travellers and hosts alike.
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