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27 Dec, 2015

More Than One Million People Will Celebrate New Year’s Eve in 150 Countries on Airbnb

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–December 17, 2015 – Airbnb, the world’s leading community-driven hospitality company, today announced that on New Year’s Eve 2015, it is projected that over one million people will stay in an Airbnb, the company’s largest bookings to date for a single night. In true globetrotting fashion, travelers hailing from 170 countries will stay in Airbnb’s in 150 countries.

“It’s incredible to see the world come together and celebrate in each other’s homes for the New Year,” said Chip Conley, Head of Hospitality, Airbnb. “Whether in a cabin in Germany’s Black Forest or on a first trip to Cuba, people are crossing borders to find the perfect place to ring in 2016.”

Top 10 Cities to Celebrate

As people see in the new year in thousands of cities large and small, Airbnb listings will be home to approximately 47,000 people in New York City, 45,000 people in Paris, 35,000 in London, and 25,000 in Sydney. Tokyo, Berlin, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Rome, and Miami round out the top ten most popular places to stay.

Top 10 Cities Surging in Popularity for New Year’s Eve*

Airbnb’s community of travelers is known for seeking local, authentic experiences. There have been a number of destinations that have shot up in popularity for New Year’s travel. Japan is the top trending destination for New Year’s Eve 2015 with three Japanese cities in the top 10 destinations that have seen the highest percentage increase in bookings compared to last year. Fukuoka tops the list with a whopping 1287 percent increase in bookings while both Osaka and Kyoto saw 678 percent and 417 percent increases respectively.

Latin America is another region becoming increasingly popular with Airbnb, led by the tremendous interest in Cuba. The incredible draw of the beaches in Latin America can’t be denied as Acapulco, Mexico, and Guaruja, Brazil, also saw huge leaps in bookings for New Year’s Eve.

Heading to the coast or countryside of France and Germany is also popular this year with Carcassonne and Perpignan, Opal Coast and South Brittany in France and the Black Forest in Germany seeing a dramatic rise in bookings.

Off the Beaten Path

Travelers are turning to Airbnb for an out of the ordinary New Year experience. Over 10,500 people are looking to get away from the chaos and turning to the comfort of a cabin in the woods to celebrate this year while almost 2,000 people are taking to the sea and celebrating on a boat.

Over 600 people would rather have a regal New Year and are staying up past midnight in a castle. There are 90 people staying on their own private islands, with 20 people heading to the one of the remote places on earth to celebrate — Easter Island.

Live it Up in Luxury

Luxury listings on Airbnb are in high demand this year, especially in sun and ski destinations. The most expensive listings booked for New Year’s are over $4,000 a night in the Dominican Republic, Saint Barthélemy, Vail and Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Learn more about all the travel trends on Airbnb in this 2015 New Year’s Travel Report on Airbnb.com.

* Calculated based on year on year growth in reservations for destinations with at least 100 bookings on New Year’s Eve

About Airbnb

Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world – online or from a mobile phone. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities and more than 190 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.