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How Airbnb Events Can Boost Your Revenue
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Today’s travelers, especially millennials and Gen Z, crave experiences over anything else. In fact, research shows that 77% of Gen Z and millennials choose where to stay based on how close it is to major attractions or events.
This is where event tourism comes in, the idea that people plan their trips around attending events or checking out nearby hotspots. This growing trend is a great opportunity for property managers and owners. In this blog we will discuss how you can leverage your local events and attractions to attract more guests and increase your revenue.
Table of Contents
What is event tourism and how does it impact the short-term rental industry
How Airbnb events can boost your property’s performance
How to attract Airbnb guests by adding Airbnb events
1. Highlight your location strategically in your description and title
2. Incorporate high-quality visuals
3. Update your listing for relevance
How to make optimizing your listings to attract event goers easier
Success story: Tripling page views by adding Airbnb events
The best pricing strategies to get the most out of your rental during Airbnb events
1. Leverage dynamic pricing to maximize demand
2. Implement minimum stay requirements strategically
3. Seasonal demand data can inform long-term strategy
Conclusion: Maximize your rental’s potential with event-driven strategies
What is event tourism and how does it impact the short-term rental industry
Let’s start by defining exactly what event tourism is. Event tourism is the practice of traveling to attend specific events like festivals, sports games, and conferences, boosting local economies and tourism. Event tourism isn’t just a passing trend; it’s reshaping the travel industry. Remember the "Taylor Swift Effect" in 2024? Her international concerts didn’t just sell out stadiums, they filled up short-term rentals in nearby cities too. Hosts who made sure to emphasize how close their properties were to the venues saw their bookings skyrocket. And it’s not just concerts. Events like Oktoberfest in Munich or the FIFA World Cup create similar waves of demand, and that demand is growing every year.
People are also seeking out smaller and authentic events to discover the local culture, so even if your city does not host the World Cup, you can still leverage the trend of event tourism. Let’s dive into how exactly to tackle this.
How Airbnb events can boost your property’s performance
When it comes to short-term rentals, adding events can make all the difference. The first reason is that properties located near major events naturally rank higher in search results on platforms like Airbnb. It’s simple: travelers prioritize searching for accommodations close to the action.
Second, research shows that event attendees often have a higher willingness to pay for nearby accommodations. This is evident in the significantly higher rates during major events. Hospitality rates can increase dramatically, with properties closest to the event sometimes charging triple their normal prices. Additionally, research suggests that guests’ willingness to pay increases as the event date approaches.
We will go deeper into smart pricing strategies for you to play into this increased demand further in this blog, so stay tuned.
How to attract Airbnb guests by adding Airbnb events
To attract more bookings during local events, the key is ensuring your listing stands out and ranks higher in search results. This process, known as listing optimization, is all about tailoring your Airbnb profile to meet the needs of event-goers while improving its visibility. Let’s explore practical strategies to make your listing a top choice for travelers attending local events.
1. Highlight your location strategically in your description and title
Guests looking for accommodations near events prioritize proximity, so make your location a focal point in your listing. Including event-related keywords like “[event name] accommodations” or “near [venue/stadium]” ensures your listing aligns with what potential guests are searching for, improving its ranking in search results.
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Here’s an example of how to integrate local events and attractions into your Airbnb descriptions.
To mention your proximity to local events or attractions, you can go to your listing editor and add it to the 'Your property' section in your description.
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Don’t forget to add a "Getting Around" Section: If events are accessible by public transport, or within walking/biking distance, include those details here.
To add the 'Getting around' section, you have to scroll down in the 'Your space' section. On the bottom of the page, you can find 'Location' where you can add a dedicated 'Getting around section'.
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2. Incorporate high-quality visuals
Professional, relevant visuals can significantly enhance the appeal of your listing. Consider including:
- Event-related imagery: Photos of nearby landmarks or event venues (with proper permissions) to highlight your location.
- Maps: A clear map showing the distance between your property and the event location.
- Amenities: Showcase features that would resonate with event-goers, such as a cozy seating area, fast Wi-Fi for remote work, or free parking.
Visually communicating your property’s value makes it easier for guests to envision their stay.
3. Update your listing for relevance
To maximize visibility, regularly update your listing to reflect upcoming events. Refresh your title, description, and keywords as the event approaches.
Those updates give you the opportunity to A/B-test what works best to attract the right audience.
This not only keeps your listing relevant for travelers but also signals to Airbnb’s algorithm that your property is active and updated, which boosts your search ranking.
How to make optimizing your listings to attract event goers easier
AutoRank’s event and attraction feature lets you showcase your property’s location in line with what guests are actively searching for. By integrating with Google and Ticketmaster, AutoRank gathers data on local events and attractions, from concerts and festivals to museums and parks.
The platform suggests events and nearby hotspots for you to highlight in your listing. You simply select the ones that match your target audience, and AutoRank seamlessly updates your description. Once events are over, they’re automatically removed to keep your listing accurate.
By leveraging event-related keywords and aligning your content with changing guest search behavior, AutoRank boosts your listing’s visibility in Airbnb’s search results. This tailored approach not only improves your rankings but also ensures you attract the right kind of guests, driving more bookings and revenue effortlessly.
Take a look at how this feature works by watching this video where our product manager is taking you on a tour through our platform:
Success story: Tripling page views by adding Airbnb events
One property owner saw a 300% increase in page views after using AutoRank to showcase local events. The platform’s integration with Google and Ticketmaster meant their listing always featured up-to-date event info, from concerts to seasonal festivals. The result? More visibility, more clicks, and more bookings.
Read the full case study here: How an Airbnb Listing Tripled Page Views by Adding Events
The best pricing strategies to get the most out of your rental during Airbnb events
When local events are on the horizon, your pricing strategy becomes one of your most powerful tools for boosting revenue. However, it’s not just about setting the right price, it’s also about ensuring your listing ranks highly in search results. More visibility means more page views, and more page views give you the leverage to charge higher rates. Let’s break down how to combine pricing strategies with ranking optimization to get the most out of your property during event periods.
1. Leverage revenue management to maximize demand
Revenue management is essential for optimizing your rates during event periods, but it only works if your listing is visible enough to attract attention. Here's how to use visibility alongside revenue management:
Early adjustments: Increase your rates by 20–30% 30–60 days before the event to capture early planners. The more views your listing gets, the better position you'll be in to raise your prices. Listings with higher page views often justify higher prices.
Last-minute pricing: If nearby listings are filling up fast, raise your rates further, up to 50–100% higher than your average rate, especially if your property is still available within 5–10 days of the event. However, keep an eye on your listing’s visibility. If your listing drops in ranking or gets fewer page views, you may need to adjust your rates or refresh your listing to stay competitive.
💡 Pro Tip: Use psychological pricing (e.g., $299/night instead of $300) to make your listing more appealing at higher price points.
2. Implement minimum stay requirements strategically
Strategic minimum stays can also optimize your rental’s profitability during event periods. Consider allowing 1-night stays for weekdays and extend to 2 of more nights during the event weekend. This strategy can help you appeal to both last-minute short-stay guests and longer-term event-goers.
3. Seasonal demand data can inform long-term strategy
For events that happen annually, using historical data to plan for future years can be a game-changer.
Plan early: For recurring events like music festivals, if your area sees a 60% increase in bookings during the event period every July, plan your pricing and visibility strategy months in advance. This means updating your listing ahead of time, highlighting the event, and getting it ranked early so it stays visible.
Search volume insights: Use search volume trends to predict when travelers will start looking for accommodations. By analysing the guest search behavior of people on Airbnb, you can detect when they start looking for certain accommodations for events and can optimize your descriptions based on that to attract the right people at the right time.
Conclusion: Maximize your rental’s potential with event-driven strategies
Tapping into the power of event tourism and leveraging your property’s proximity to local attractions can transform your vacation rental strategy. By optimizing your listings for visibility, using revenue management strategies, and staying updated on guest search trends, you can attract more bookings and boost revenue during peak event periods.
With AutoRank, this process becomes seamless. From highlighting the right keywords to staying ahead of the competition with event-focused updates, AutoRank gives you the tools to make your listing stand out year-round. Whether it’s international concerts, local festivals, or cultural landmarks, there’s always an opportunity to connect with the right guests.
Don’t miss out on the chance to elevate your rental’s performance. Book a demo with AutoRank today and discover how to turn local events into your property’s competitive advantage.