Stays in holiday accommodation are on the upswing. In August, Airdna, the largest rental data provider short-term, recorded the highest number of nights sold since the start of the pandemic. Bookings from September to November in Europe are still down on average by 19% compared to the same period in 2019, but a marked improvement compared to 2020.
The positive signs are confirmed by the estimates for 2021 of Real Estate Scenarios: the year should close with 650 thousand short rentals, compared to 400 thousand in 2020, but still far from the turnover of 2019 when it was estimated one million and 50 thousand rentals short on an annual basis.
Internal demand pushes the trend up
If the downward trend in Covid-19 infections continues, according to Airdna, demand in Europe in the coming months could exceed the levels of 2019, especially where domestic demand is particularly incisive. The pandemic, however, has severely reduced the offer: compared to February 2019, the loss of ads on the main specialized portals (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking, etc.) was 20.6% based on European data referring to August of this year.
The decline was mainly concentrated in the major European cities: Prague (-58%), Edinburgh (-56%), Budapest (-55%), Amsterdam (- 55%) and Moscow ( -53%). The decline in Rome is between 45-50%, that of Milan between 35-40%.
Average daily rates on the rise
Interestingly, the average daily rate paid by a guest in August 2021 increased on average by 15.5% compared to August 2019 (+ 9.2% compared to August 2020). The higher rates result from a variety of factors, including higher demand for luxury units, as well as slightly higher prices charged byi host in the most attractive markets.