The lengthening of the summer tourist season with the promotion of September to a new… August shows data on short-term rental bookings. By last menses AirDNA studyV Hellas recorded the third largest increase in bookings in Europe: 96% more overnight stays compared to the same period last year. The increase in demand this year, seen in September, is an international trend, as significant growth was registered in many directions, such as Croatia with 129.1%, Poland with 161.5% and Austria with 76.4%.

The total number of bookings made for September increased by an average of 77.7% compared to the same period last year. On the contrary, for June the growth does not exceed 13%, and in general the third quarter, i.e. July-September, moving at a growth rate of about 40% over last year. This data demonstrates, on the one hand, the intention of foreign visitors to secure accommodation of their choice, avoiding last-minute bookings, and on the other hand, the desire to avoid overcrowding, which often occurs in August in popular tourist destinations.

The increase in bookings in September is an international trend, while in June the corresponding increase is only 13%.

According to AirDNA analysis, “This year’s booking trends show a change in traveler behavior, both in terms of booking times and increased peak season. Historically, September is considered the end of the summer tourist season in Europe. But based on today’s bookings, it looks like this month will be much more mobile and hosts will be able to charge higher rates for those who book last minute at the most popular destinations.”

In a recent Mindhouse researchwhat was done on her behalf European Tourism Commission with data collected in March from a sample of 6,000 people from all major Greek tourism markets, it appears that the third most important criterion for choosing a destination, and indeed on an upward trend, is avoiding overcrowding. The other two criteria are, of course, weather conditions (18%) and attractive offers (17%). In this context, besides preferring other months besides the July-August period, it seems that there is the possibility of developing more distant destinations, so that they become “hidden treasures”. This development clearly favors short-term rentals, as many properties could be used in this way.

As for the price level per night, in March this year the average price in the Greek market reached 187 euros, an increase of 26% year on year. At the same time, a significant increase of 14.8%, the highest in Europe, was also noted in the average occupancy, which now stands at 50%. This development is associated with a large increase in demand and limited supply of housing. In particular, according to AirDNA, demand (based on the number of overnight stays) increased by almost 30% (29.6%) compared to the corresponding month last year.