Younger travellers prefer traditional hotels over Airbnb: report

BUSINESS

Younger travellers prefer traditional hotels over Airbnb: report

Relaxnews Published Wednesday, January 24, 2018 3:17PM EST

Airbnb says it will spend the next year verifying that all 7 million of its listings are accurate and that the homes and rooms being offered for short-term stays meet basic quality standards. (AFP PHOTO/John MACDOUGALL)

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The findings from a new report on U.S. millennial travellers suggests that contrary to prevailing beliefs, younger travellers prefer traditional hotels over homestays like Airbnb.

According to the , prepared by Resonance Consultancy, millennial travellers -- defined as 20-to-36-year-olds -- cited full-service hotels as their first choice when it comes to accommodations.

In fact, home-share accommodations like ranked dead last, after staying with friends and family; all-inclusive resorts; upscale hotels and resorts and camping.

The findings are based on a survey of 1,500 U.S. millennial travellers.

Though more than half (52 per cent) of millennial travellers said they've used home-sharing services like Airbnb in the past, less than a quarter of respondents cited short-term apartments or condo rentals as their preferred type of accommodation.

The wide-sweeping report, which will be presented at a briefing in New York on Feb. 28 to leaders in the travel industry, also teased out an unexpected finding about Airbnb users.

Though Airbnb first emerged on scene as the more affordable alternative to hotel stays, analysts for the report also found that the home-sharing usage is highest among respondents with household incomes of US$100,000 or higher (63 per cent) and those residing in the western U.S. (also 63 per cent).