As we close out 2018, travel bugs are chomping at the bit with wanderlust for the year ahead.
To help provide some guidance, Airbnb has announced its top trending destinations for 2019 based off of searches, booking and wish list growth data on its website over the past year.
The findings reveal a growing demand for more off the beaten path destinations, such as a vehicle-free island off the coast of China in Xiamen, or the site of Woodstock’s 50th-anniversary celebration in the Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley.
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Airbnb’s data points to an increase in “healthy” tourism, with a focus on environmental sustainability in Calabria, Italy, or helping rebuild communities that have faced natural disasters such as Kaikoura, New Zealand.
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So which Canadian city has spiked the interest of travellers on Airbnb over the past year?
This may or may not come as a surprise, but the only city to make the cut is Winnipeg, which has seen a 140% increase in Airbnb searches compared to last year.
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Airbnb attributes the interest in Winnipeg to its cultural offerings for both residents and travellers, including the historic warehouses of The Forks that have been transformed into shops and restaurants, as well as ample outdoor space for summer festivals and concerts.
Another major draw of Winnipeg is the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, a first-of-its-kind dedication to the evolution, celebration, and future of human rights.
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Find the full list of Airbnb’s 19 destinations to visit in 2019 below, along with their year over year increases on the website.
- Kaikoura, New Zealand: 295% in bookings / 210% in searches
- Xiamen, China: 283% in bookings
- Puebla, Mexico: 240% in searches / 206% in wish list inclusion
- Normandy, France: 229% in bookings / 120% in searches
- Great Smoky Mountains, US: 191% in bookings / 190% in searches
- Buenos Aires Province, Argentina: 188% in bookings / 176% in wish list inclusion
- Accra, Ghana: 163% in bookings / 120% in searches
- Mozambique: 156% in bookings / 160% in searches
- Outer Hebrides, Scotland: 147% in bookings / 170% in searches
- Wakayama Prefecture, Japan: 128% in bookings
- Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley, US: 100% in bookings / 130% in searches
- Santa Catarina State, Brazil: 100%+ in bookings / 140% in wish list inclusion
- Batumi, Georgia: 200% in searches
- Winnipeg, Canada: 140% in searches
- Pondicherry, India: 140% in searches
- Uzbekistan: 165% in wish list inclusion
- Calabria, Italy: 100%+ in wish list inclusion
- Andalucia, Spain: 100%+ in wish list inclusion
- Taiwan: 100%+ in wish list inclusion
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