Forget Italy, Spain or Brazil. The Hudson Valley topped those and other global hot spots in their list of the most sought-after vacation destinations.
On Monday the vacation rental website announced their “19 Destinations to Visit in 2019” based on “a combination of Airbnb search, booking and wish list growth data.” In short, these are the most sought-after places to visit by users of Airbnb.
The list contains many popular and exotic vacation destinations that you’d expect to see on a list like this. Topping the list was Kaikoura, New Zeland followed by the romantic port city of Xiamen, China. Other top spots include towns in Mexico, France, Argentina and Scotland. But it’s the number 11 destination that has everyone talking this week because it’s right here in the Hudson Valley.
That’s right. According to Airbnb, the Hudson Valley/Catskills area is the top 11 destination in the entire world to visit in 2019.
How did our area become one of the most sought-after vacation spots? The Hudson Valley saw a 100% increase in Airbnb bookings this year. In addition, searches for vacation spots in the Hudson Valley rose an incredible 130% over the same time period.
According to Airbnb, the Hudson Valley is going to be an even bigger draw in 2019 because of the rumored Woodstock 50th anniversary concert that is said to be in the works for next summer. Aside from big events like that, the Hudson Valley is home to many hiking trails, ski resorts, vineyards, farms and other getaway locations. Of course, our proximity to the largest city in America isn’t hurting either. Many New York Airbnb users choose to visit our area on weekends to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Here’s a look a the full list of the 19 Destinations to Visit in 2019 according to Airbnb:
- Kaikoura, New Zealand
- Xiamen, China
- Puebla, Mexico
- Normandy, France
- Great Smoky Mountains, US
- Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
- Accra, Ghana
- Mozambique
- Outer Hebrides, Scotland
- Wakayama Prefecture, Japan
- Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley, US
- Santa Catarina State, Brazil
- Batumi, Georgia
- Winnipeg, Canada
- Pondicherry, India
- Uzbekistan
- Calabria, Italy
- Andalucia, Spain
- Taiwan