Christmas in July: Vrbo data reveals rush to book December vacations
AUSTIN, Texas – July 27, 2021 – The latest data from Vrbo® indicates travelers are feeling the holiday spirit earlier this year and quickly booking vacation homes in top destinations for December.
Prime warm-weather destinations where families can spend the holidays together are already facing lower availability for Vrbo homes, including Florida and Hawaii beaches. For example, Maui, Hawaii has less than 20% of Vrbo homes available during Christmas week [1].
Families looking forward to spending more time together are also eating up the availability for Vrbo homes in popular destinations by booking longer stays. Nearly half of the bookings during this December are for at least seven nights [2].
Demand for Vrbo vacation homes in December has also increased by over 15% from 2019 [3], and this early booking behavior is consistent with what Vrbo has seen from travelers since the beginning of the year. Vacationers booked their summer vacations about two months earlier than usual, and booking trends show signs of a “second summer” of travel replacing the traditional shoulder season this fall.
“We typically see December bookings peak in October and November, but families are locking in their holiday vacation plans much earlier than usual,” said Melanie Fish, Vrbo’s travel expert. “Vacation homes have been quickly scooped up during every popular travel season this year, so it’s no surprise that families are planning ahead to ensure they have a great place to spend the holidays together.”
Families should check for travel advisories and restrictions in their vacation destination and always follow health and safety guidance from health officials and local authorities. Visit this help article for more information.
[1]: Based on Vrbo vacation rental demand for Dec. 20 – 26, 2021 as of July 12, 2021
[2]: Based on Vrbo vacation rental demand for Dec. 1 – 31, 2021 as of June 30, 2021
[3]: Based on Vrbo vacation rental demand for Dec. 1 – 31, as of Jan. 1 – June 30, 2019 vs. Jan. 1 – June 30, 2021
About Vrbo
In 1995, Vrbo introduced a new way for people to travel together, pairing homeowners with families and friends looking for places to stay. We were grounded in one purpose: To give people the space they need to drop the distractions of everyday life and simply be together.
Since then, we’ve grown into a global community of homeowners and travelers, with unique properties around the world. Vrbo makes it easy and fun to book cabins, condos, beach houses and every kind of space in between.
Vrbo is part of Expedia Group and offers homeowners and property managers exposure to over 750 million visits to Expedia Group sites each month. To learn more, visit www.vrbo.com.
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