Travel

Rural NC Airbnb hosts cash in on desire for 'staycations'

After months of quarantine, people are eager to travel. The experiences many are seeking in our state could be a money-making opportunity for potential Airbnb hosts in rural areas of the state.

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By
Rick Armstrong
, WRAL photojournalist

After months of quarantine, people are eager to travel. The experiences many are seeking in our state could be a money-making opportunity for potential Airbnb hosts in rural areas of the state.

That’s because more vacationers are not as interested in crowded vacation resorts or touring a big city. Instead, many are after a "staycation" in a place that feels like home.

"We are seeing that huge demand right now," said Airbnb’s Cassady Blackwell. She says North Carolina has become a popular destination for travelers looking for a change of pace.

"Rural hosts have earned over a total of $170 million since the pandemic was declared last March – with the typical rural host in North Carolina earning nearly $10,000 in that same time period," said Blackwell. That’s almost $2,000 more than the typical host across the U.S.

Among the options for Airbnb hosts is listing their entire home for guest visits or offering a separate guest suite within the home.

On Airbnb’s online site, one host provided a video testimonial, saying, "I let my guests have my the whole apartment to themselves, and it’s usually when I go away on holiday."

The comforts of home are the biggest draw, says Blackwell, and the more inviting the better. "Some of the top trending amenities that guests are searching for include patios and balconies and barbecues and gardens and backyards," she said.

Providing a place to stay isn’t the only option for Airbnb entrepreneurs. Hosting "experiences" for visitors is another way to make some extra money from the upcoming travel rush. "You can host a cooking class or a tour around your community. So there’s lots of different ways to be an Airbnb host," explained Blackwell.

Airbnb now also has a feature called "flexible dates" for people or families with flexible work and school schedules. "So you can browse for stays to take advantage of that flexibility," said Blackwell.

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