Booking.com, one of the world’s leading digital travel platforms, announced over 3 billion guest arrivals across all property offerings since 2007, with 750 million of those guests arriving at alternative accommodations including homes, apartments and other unique places to stay.
truly unique..
Some of Booking.com’s longest standing and truly unique listings globally include Lakeside Town Farm, (pictured) a cozy self-catering cabin in the middle of a 300-acre working farm in the UK, which has been welcoming Booking.com guests since 2005, while properties like Honeyguide Tented Safari Camps in Kruger National Park, South Africa, which offers luxury tents with contemporary design steps from Africa’s stunning wildlife, have been welcoming Booking.com’s more adventurous customers for over a decade.
“It’s humbling to look back at how far we’ve come, growing together with amazing accommodation providers across the globe to unleash the inner explorer in travellers looking to experience the world,” said Olivier Grémillon, Vice President at Booking.com. “It’s also exciting to look ahead to what the future of travel will bring as new destinations emerge, technology evolves and travelers’ appetites for discovery and exploration only increase. Approximately 40 percent of our active customers booked an alternative accommodation property at some point over the past 12 months. Unique stay experiences will continue to be at the heart of tomorrow’s travel, even more so than today.”
service is appreciated
Notably, research from Booking.com conducted with over 21,500 global travellers found that almost two-thirds (63%) believe their stay has been improved by the person managing their accommodation going above and beyond, and 62% appreciating being able to take advantage of ‘insider’ knowledge from local accommodation hosts and providers.
Increasing traveler demand for alternative types of accommodation was also borne out in this year’s Booking.com Guest Review Awards, where nearly three quarters (73%) of all the winning properties were homes, apartments and other unique places to stay, including everything from boats and igloos to homestays and country houses.
