Airbnb and tourism in the Cotswolds

Published:
5:45 PM July 22, 2022

With such demand for accommodation in the Cotswolds, the online holiday rental platform is finding success in disrupting the traditional model of staycationing

More than half of all domestic holidaymakers have taken a trip to the Cotswolds, according to Visit Britain. It is perhaps unsurprising to learn that in a recent survey it was ranked among the best relaxing and rural destinations for the family. But it’s also no surprise to learn that the same survey called it “somewhere for old people.”

But, with the arrival of the new Airbnb online vacation rental market in the Cotswolds, could change be on the way? With most users between the ages of 25 and 34, the platform could be just the disruption the region needs to introduce a new generation of travelers to its charms. Yet Airbnb could also prove disruptive in a less positive way, with raucous traveler reports and soaring house prices making headlines.

There is no denying that tourism is important to the Cotswolds. Even in pre-Covid times, visitors were spending over £1million a day in the area, with the bulk coming from British travellers. The largest proportion of visitor spending is on food and drink (a whopping £127m a year), followed by retail (£83m a year).

And, with £49m spent on holiday accommodation in the area, there is a huge market up for grabs. So where do Cotswold tourists tend to stay? About half opt for a hotel, and a quarter opt for a bed and breakfast. 13% of visitors opt for self-catering accommodation in a rental house or apartment – ​​and that’s part of the market that Airbnb is looking to disrupt.

When tourists visit the Cotswolds, their expectations are high. Nearly 60% of visitors opt for four or five star accommodation, compared to 40% of visitors to the rest of the country. The same Visit England survey also indicated that visitors associate the area with “a distinctive and authentic experience” – and Airbnb can offer some fantastically original options for the discerning traveler.

Visitors can book into the Castle Gatehouse at Sudeley Castle, sleeping in a four-poster bed overlooking a wide driveway. Asphodel Cottage, near Cirencester, allows visitors to stay in a small one-bedroom cottage that looks like something out of a fairy tale. Travelers can even book a stay at Grist Mill, near Uley, which still has a mill-era hoist and carefully preserved machinery still in place.

READ MORE: 10 cozy Cotswolds cottages you can rent on Airbnb.

Some of these stays don’t come cheap, with prices at the Castle Gatehouse ranging up to £500 a night. And for hosts looking to win the best price, a whole new industry has sprung up: Airbnb advice. Polo and Tweed, a national recruiting and training company, last year offered courses on how to earn coveted Airbnb “Superhost” status. They recommend modeling your vacation rental on a five-star hotel rather than the usual B&B, and other tips include offering fresh flowers, providing a complementary basket of local produce, and ensuring spotless cleanliness.

But buyer beware: Airbnb hosts can charge five-star hotel prices, but don’t necessarily have hotel training themselves. Airbnb allows hosts to set house rules, with expectations for guest behavior and cleaning varying widely from vacation rental to vacation rental. Hosts can also opt out, but some are much more involved. While this can provide an authentic insight into local life, an overbearing host can quickly leave guests feeling like a wandering relative who has overstayed their welcome…

And hosts have their own issues to deal with, especially when renting properties to larger groups. In 2020, Cotswold District Councilors set up a task force to regulate holiday rentals for more than eight people after large properties began to attract rowdy guests. And there are also broader issues caused by the Airbnb boom. In 2021, the Cotswolds had one of the highest rates of empty homes in England, with a staggering 18 out of use.

Of those 2,375 empty homes, 1,739 were second homes – ripe for listing on Airbnb. The pandemic-induced stay boom has also caused prices to soar. In 2021, prices for holidays to favorite places in the UK have soared by 40%, and a farmhouse on Broadway even made headlines last summer after the price of a week’s stay rose. reached £15,000.

But therein lies the tension: these prices may seem exorbitant, but could these expenses ripple through the local economy? Airbnb seems to think so. Their latest Economic Impact Report indicates that Airbnb guests are more likely to receive referrals from their hosts and spend time and money on local businesses. They also found that globally, for every 1,000 Airbnb guests who visited, nine jobs were supported. With tourism accounting for 17% of total employment in the Cotswolds, could it prove to be a powerful driver of growth?

Airbnb recently developed a platform for visitor experiences. These can be booked with or without overnight stays and offer guests an experience “led by locals who love where they’re from and what they do”. Visitors to the Cotswolds can enjoy scones at a Cotswold cottage, have a Bridgertonwalking tour of cinema locations in Bath and even picking up food in Cheltenham. But the irony is that Airbnb may well be offering guests a taste of local life, while pushing locals themselves out of the housing market.

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