Airbnb is hot stuff in the Hudson Valley. Last time we checked, the home rental service was exerting a subtle, yet significant influence on the region’s real estate scene. Now, however, it provides a boost to local county economies as well.
According to a recent report from Airbnb, all Hudson Valley counties saw an increase in the number of guests and hosts between summer 2017 and summer 2018. Ulster County welcomed the largest influx of guests, with more than 58,600 arrivals between May 25 and September 3, 2018. The number marks an increase from the 28,700 guests who visited in winter/spring and the 43,800 guests who visited last summer.
On the hosting side, Ulster County also led the way in terms of the number of locals renting out their spaces through the site. The 1,600 hosts in that region who welcomed visitors this summer are up from 1,100 hosts in the winter and 1,400 host from summer 2017.
Throughout the Hudson Valley, a significant number of residents shared their homes for the first time this summer. Rockland County saw the highest percentage (30 percent) of first time listers, followed by Orange County (28 percent), Albany County (27 percent), and Rensselaer County (27 percent).
Also trending on the Airbnb report is that more than half of all first-time listers are women. That number ranges from 59 percent in Greene County to 74 percent in Rockland County.
Across the board, most visitors to the Hudson Valley come from New York State, and from New York City in particular. That’s not to say that the region doesn’t welcome a broad network of guests. On the contrary, visitors to the region come from more than 60 countries around the world.
In total, Hudson Valley hosts earned more than $27 million through Airbnb this summer.
Are you an Airbnb host? Have you stayed in a Hudson Valley Airbnb before? Let us know in the comments or send us an email to edit@hvmag.com.
