Coronavirus. The short-term impact on Airbnb & the holiday let market.
2020 has been far from the year of possibilities we were all hoping for. What started out as an incredible year for us here on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland with regard to revenues for the holiday sector and tourism markets throughout the region quickly diminished come March. I think we might have been all under the false illusion that our beautiful island nation was going to be less affected than other more densely populated countries but ultimately, we cannot exempt ourselves from a global pandemic, but we sure have been incredibly lucky so far given the results across the globe.
Like everywhere our region was hit hard in March during the forced nation-wide lockdown we all had to endure when things were more raw and unknown. Overnight the Queensland government issued travel bans and stern warnings to holiday makers and the companies hosting them threatening huge fines for businesses who would choose to host holiday makers, who simply wished to travel away from their principle place of residence. This meant a tough March and April for most businesses. Agents like us pivoted to hosting longer stays to international travellers that ended up stranded in Australia as well as Australians living overseas that flew back and were then looking for an Airbnb to rent for the medium term whilst the dust settled.
Once the travel ban lifted the Sunshine Coast received a huge influx in bookings to the entire region from Queenslanders desperate to escape the monotony of lockdown and let’s face it, nothing felt closer to groundhog day. Most accommodation providers had a record few months with July tipping the scales towards revenues typical of the January holiday season! We experienced our biggest July on record with most homes completely booked out.
The trend will likely continue that holiday makers book very last minute for long weekends or even week-long plus stays within only a day or two of check-in. Over the past 3 months most guests have booked a stay (both mid week or week-end, it doesn’t seem to matter) within only one or two days notice, and we have certainly seen more guests making reservations the day of travel, than anytime in the history of my 10+ years hosting.
Homes located throughout the Sunshine Coast Hinterland region are the most desirable getaways with guests preferring stand-alone homes over apartments, and certainly flocking to more remote areas offering acreage or a complete experience, without the need to travel elsewhere. Throughout this period we are seeing a desire in the complete in-home experience, where guests simply don’t have the leave the property. They book groceries in, get a private chef to bring the restaurant experience to them, and a lot have chosen homes offering complete privacy and seclusion.
Bookings are strong and consistent and barring March and early April, we have had one of the best winters on record. Airbnb has definitely been hugely affected globally and within Australia I’m sure New South Wales & Victoria are doing it very tough, but Queensland has been incredibly lucky throughout the entire year, and business here looks good. We are continuing to see strong numbers between Caloundra and Noosa with plenty of guests flocking to our coastal beaches to escape the crowds, and our hinterland region to connect with nature and family. The bottom line is we simply have some of the most incredible beaches and wilderness on the East Coast, and we simply aren’t as densely populated as our Gold Coast neighbours, so we can expect to continue to attract holiday makers to our region over the coming months.
