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These Are the Two American Regions That Made AirBnB's 2019 Must-Visit List
Houses in the Great Smoky Mountains.Photo: Getty Images
Some places in America are perennially popular: New York City, Las Vegas, anything Disney. But what about those that are flying just under the radar?
Determining a new year's "destinations to know" is often subjective, and requires picking the brains of well-known travelers and tastemakers. But for their 2019 list, AirBnB looked to the numbers to determine where, exactly, the new "it" places are.
In America, the honor went to two locations: The Great Smoky Mountains and New York's Hudson Valley and Catskills regions.
The Great Smoky Mountains.Photo: Getty Images
The Great Smoky Mountains is already the country's most visited National Park—last year, it received over 11 million visitors. However, according to AirBnB's data, it's only becoming more in demand: the area saw a year over year booking increase of 191 percent. Their reasoning? Its relative accessibility, and affordability. Plus, next year, two of the National Park's biggest hiking trails are reopening after forest fire damage.
Although the last decades saw the well-documented decline of the Catskills, it seems the New York region may be poised for a comeback. AirBnB saw an 100 percent increase in bookings year over year, and the New York Times also reported an uptick of visitors last year. Both groups point to Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, a concert venue that opened in Woodstock in 2006. 2019 is the legendary musical festival's 50th anniversary, which makes a further tourist bump inevitable.
The Catskill Mountains.Photo: Getty Images
Also noted is the neighboring region of the Hudson Valley, which has gained traction as a year-round getaway from New York City. The area's destinations include Storm King Art Center, the charming artist towns of Beacon, Cold Spring, and Hudson, as well as a slew of wellness and foodie hotspots.
But the place that's most trending on AirBnB's list? Kaikora, New Zealand, which is seeing a dramatic return after an earthquake hit in 2016. There was a 296 percent increase in visitors last year, AirBnB found. Second place goes to Xiamen, China—backing up estimates that, by 2030, China will be the most visited country in the world.
The full list can be found here—get your 2019 plans started.
TopicsWinter Travel
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