Online travel guide Trip101 reported a recent increase in the average number of nights per booking for vacation rentals in the US, Japan, Canada, and other major countries – from approximately three nights to eight nights – amid a global shutdown to stem the spread of Covid-19.
The trend emerged around the second week of March, in the thick of heightening response from governments around the world, and ahead of state of emergency declarations in the US (March 13) and major cities in Japan (April 7), according to Trip101.
The findings are in line with a recent increase in long-term bookings reported by vacation rental platforms, said Trip101. According to these platforms, there have been more hosts offering longer-term stays and dangling discounts to people seeking accommodation since the Covid-19 outbreak.
Kei Shibata, CEO and co-founder of Venture Republic, which owns Trip101 and Travel.jp, said: “The surge could be related to the number of individuals needing to self-quarantine and tourists who have been stranded under strict travel restrictions.’
