Airbnb claims hottest destination a tiny town in middle of nowhere leaving local media confused
Call them the itty bitty city committee.The number crunchers at Airbnb have announced that the hottest place to book a Airbnb in the US this past summer wasn’t New York, Los Angeles or Miami — but a rural nowhere in Washington where it’s hot and dry all season long. According to data released by the short-term rental company, the barely 8,000-person Columbia River-adjacent burg of Quincy in the sunny middle of the state was the top trending destination in America during the summer of 2024. Seeking to better understand the suspicious spotlighting, the Seattle Times contacted Airbnb for explanations as to how the relatively remote town became so popular this summer, but representatives didn’t have much in the way of answers, citing the fact that customers aren’t mandated to share the reason they’re traveling somewhere when they make reservations. There could be one, very big reason for the designation — Quincy’s close proximity to the LiveNation-managed Gorge Amphitheatre in nearby, even tinier George, Wash.
The stunning outdoor arena, which draws visitors from all over the Northwest, has recently hosted performances by everyone from Bob Dylan to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Willie Nelson.Rachelle Baughman, marketing director for the Grant County Tourism Commission, however, cited local data centers that hire temporary help as a possible explanation for the uptick in booking queries.“They’re coming in to help get these tech startups going, and then they’re leaving,” Baughman told the publication.
“They’re seeing a lot of Airbnb rentals that way.”As well, Baughman said that Quincy offers a lovely small town America energy and stunning access to a beautiful, normally less-traveled part of the Pacific Northwest. “Everybody was coming as strangers and then they knew everybody,” she said of recent newcomers.“So we’re known as a friendly town, and people really like this town.”As for the other ranked locales on Airbnb’s sur...