Airbnb Survey: 5 Takeaways & 3 Recommendations for Local Governments

See what Airbnb’s recent survey means for your local government

Airbnb recently polled more than 1,000 Americans as to their 2021 travel plans, especially now that vaccines are becoming more and more available. According to this winter/spring 2021 report, Americans will likely be hitting the road this year with more confidence than last year, but still abundant caution.

Here are what we think are the five key takeaways from this new survey:

1. We’re feeling isolated and ready to travel. The study cites that 54% of Americans have already booked or plan to book travel in 2021. Some demographics are more ready than others, with 60% of 30- to 49-year-olds ready to hit the road, but only 45% of those 50+.
   
   
2. We’re interested in travel as a means to reconnect. The survey reveals that Americans are excited to visit friends and family, eager to leave tech at home—and few people are interested in business travel. We want to stay (sort of) close to home. Those polled expressed more interest in travel by car, and a majority prefer domestic travel. And they’re not looking only at cities, but also more remote locations and smaller towns.
   
   
3. We want safe and affordable travel. Respondents are looking to travel to areas to areas where COVID infections are low and vaccination is high, with testing and treatment available. Those polled are looking to save and choose services like Airbnb to cut costs while on vacation.
   
   
4. We’re open to staying longer. 25% of those polled are considering more long-term stays and one in five say they’ve already rented a vacation home for more than 28 days since the start of the pandemic. This is largely due to new flexibility with working from home, as well as remote schooling.


How Municipalities Should Prepare & React

1. Experts Predict More Travel for 2021: Check out this recent post from the Localgov team that’s packed with tips specific tips for local governments, from reviewing ordinances to giving your hosts a business-friendly way to comply with your laws. Feel free to pass it along to other decision makers in your department.

   
   
2. Talk to your business community: Work with your local business groups, such as Chambers of Commerce, to talk about how you can market your area to visitors—and potential new residents. Consider targeted marketing efforts in nearby cities that highlight your community’s gifts.
   
   
3. Keep tabs on the newbies: There are likely new short-term rental hosts in your area. Reach out to them and make sure they’re aware of your community’s ordinances and expectations. And don’t forget that there are new short-term rental services popping up all the time. In fact, there are dozens of them—not just Airbnb, Vrbo, and HomeAway. Every hear of Sonder? Getaway?

Need to Gain Control of Your Vacation Rental Market?

Localgov is an excellent solution for short-term rental-tax compliance

Localgov offers your hosts efficiency and flexibility they need to manage taxes while also managing guests. Localgov is easy to use—and not unlike many consumer-facing payment tools such as online banking. Hosts can quickly set up a profile, calculate taxes due, and remit via ACH debits and credit cards. No more worrying if they’ve missed something and will incur fees or fines later.

Your community will benefit from a more steady payment of short-term rental taxes due to the ease of use. However, Localgov also adds value to municipalities because the platform connects directly to your bank account. No more waiting for paper checks to clear. And once the system is up and running, your employees can use Localgov’s rich reporting tools to determine which hosts have outstanding taxes and work with our team of care experts to encourage them to come back into compliance. Read our complete guide to short-term rental host tax compliance here.

Let’s start a conversation

Our team would love to talk with your local government about how Localgov can benefit your short-term rental hosts this season—and beyond. It’s easy to get started. Schedule a personalized demo call at your leisure. A member of our staff will lead you through a quick session so we can customize a demo presentation exactly for your particular needs.