2018 Travel Trends

What is piquing the interest of travelers next year? According to Airbnb, an online marketplace and hospitality service, more nature retreats, beach time and cozy live shows.

Based on its booking data for the first half of 2018, the company has come up with predictions for next year’s travel trends.

Most Popular Cities

While Manhattan, Paris and London have always been high on the list of the world’s most popular cities, destinations such as Lisbon and Miami are climbing the ladder.

• Tokyo
• Paris
• Osaka
• New York City
• London
• Rome
• Orlando
• Miami
• Sydney
• Lisbon

Trending Destinations

By comparing the number of bookings last year to the number of bookings during the first half of 2018, Airbnb has been able to list the top trending destinations.

Topping the list is Gangneung, Korea, which has had a more than 2000 percent increase in bookings from the previous year, notably due to the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

In the United States, rising stars such as Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Indiana, are seeing strong growth due to their booming downtown districts. And in North America as a whole, destinations close to the Canadian Rockies — such as Edmonton — are garnering more attention because they offer a vast array of year-round outdoor activities.

When it comes to European cities, destinations such as Bournemouth on the southern coast of England and Gazimagusa in Cyprus are becoming more popular because of their sparkling rock beaches and warm microclimates.

• Gangneung, Korea — 2175 percent
• Bournemouth, UK — 353 percent
• Edmonton, Canada — 284 percent
• Indianapolis, IN — 256 percent
• Da Nang, Vietnam — 255 percent
• Columbus, OH — 254 percent
• Paphos, Cyprus — 234 percent
• Gazimagusa, Cyprus — 234 percent
• Bilbao, Spain — 234 percent
• Hanoi, Vietnam — 212 percent
• Matinhos, Brazil — 209 percent
• Cardiff, UK — 206 percent
• Guarapari, Brazil — 205 percent
• Minneapolis, MN — 193 percent
• Oita, Japan — 190 percent
• Dunedin, New Zealand — 185 percent
• Mar del Plata, Argentina — 181 percent
• Fernie, Canada — 179 percent
• Zagreb, Croatia — 175 percent
• Mykonos, Greece — 173 percent
• Mazatlan, Mexico — 169 percent

Most Popular Experiences

Besides providing rooms, houses and apartments for their users to stay in, Airbnb also offers experiences across the globe. When looking at the excursions already booked for the first half of next year, food and drink remain at the top (29 percent of total experience bookings). But other experiences, such as nature and music (both at 9 percent) are rising to the top.

• Lisbon’s Best Flavors (Lisbon)
• Secret Concert in a Treehouse! (London)
• Raise a Glass to Prohibition (New York)
• Brixton Hidden Jazz Club (London)
• Hollywood Sign Walk to the Top (Los Angeles)

Airbnb predicts that the demand for both outdoor excursions and live concerts will grow in 2018.