Family travel* is booming on Airbnb. Globally, family travel saw over 15 million check-ins in nearly 90,000 destinations in 2022.¹ 

Airbnb announcing new family travel trends for Canada just as spring gets under way and more and more Canadians are setting their sights on sunny summer vacations. 

Family travel trends in Canada on Airbnb

Family travel in Canada is up more than 50 percent in 2022 when comparing to 2019, showcasing that travel in Canada is back following pandemic restrictions lifting.  

Where did Canadian families go

In 2022, Canadian families embarked on adventures in the Great White North, with all of the top 10 family travel destinations being domestic²:

• Toronto, Ontario
• Montreal, Quebec
• Calgary, Alberta
• Vancouver, British Columbia
• Edmonton, Alberta
• Canmore, Alberta
• Ottawa, Ontario
• Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Quebec City, Quebec
• Prince Edward County, Ontario

These big Canadian destinations illustrate that Canadians loved staying closer to home in 2022 and showcased that Airbnb may be a great option for families even when traveling to urban centers. 

Types of listings

Airbnb offers families the option to travel near and far with beautiful views that aren’t shared by hundreds or thousands of other people at the same time. In 2022, families used Airbnb for the ability to swim, ski, and lounge lakeside. The top-booked categories for family travel in Canada last year include: 

• Lake 
• Ski destination
• Amazing pools
• Cabin
• Lakefront

Canadian families can find affordable destinations all over the world on Airbnb 

For families looking to spend less, Airbnb gives families access to affordable listings and locations. Here are some popular destinations for families where Airbnb listings averaged less than $70 CAD per night per person in 2022³: 

• Somerset, England
• Bridgetown, Saint Michael, Barbados 
• Alghero, Sardinia, Italy 
• Whakatane, Bay of Plenty Region, New Zealand 
• Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA 
• Washington, Utah 
• Camuy, Puerto Rico 
• Greater Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 
• Playas de Rosarito, Baja California, México

Families around the world likely book Airbnb listings because of the value and space they received compared to what hotel rooms offer.⁴ 

• More space for the money: Families can get an Airbnb with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms for approximately the price of one hotel room at certain major chains⁵.
• Spreading out: One-quarter of Airbnb listings have three bedrooms or more. And more than 1 million listings have cribs for small children. 
• Kitchens: Nearly 90 percent of Airbnb listings have kitchens. 
• Pets: More than 5 million pets traveled on Airbnb listings in 2022, with more than 210,000 in Canada alone. 
• Families use Airbnb for all lengths of stay: In 2022, more than half of families stayed between 2-6 nights, while nearly half stayed for a week or longer.
• Better sleep: According to a recent survey, 66.9% of recent travelers get at least seven hours of sleep in a vacation rental, compared to 65.8% at home and 53.8% in a hotel or motel.⁶

Airbnb Hosts benefit from family travel 

As the cost of living continues to rise, the popularity of family travel creates meaningful earning opportunities for those considering hosting on Airbnb. In fact, Airbnb Hosts in Canada collectively made over $670 million CAD from bookings with families last year.⁷ 

At Airbnb, made it easier than ever before to become an Airbnb Host. Last year, during the 2022 Winter Release, launched Airbnb Setup, which provides new Hosts with the options to match for free with a Superhost for one-to-one guidance, host an experienced guest as your first guest, and receive one-tap access to a specially trained team of Community Support agents. Since November, twice as many prospective Hosts are matching with Superhosts in their area and receiving personalized guidance as they navigate the process of becoming first-time Hosts.

Those interested in joining to Host community to start earning meaningful additional income can visit:  airbnb.com.

* Defined as an Airbnb booking that includes at least one child or infant.

¹ According to internal Airbnb data looking at family travel, defined as a check-in with at least one child, between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2022. 

² According to internal Airbnb data looking at family travel, defined as a check-in with at least one child, between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2022. 

³ According to internal Airbnb data for destinations that had 5,000 minimum guest nights booked for families in 2022 inclusive of all taxes and fees.

⁴ According to a survey of Airbnb guests who booked between June 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 and were surveyed between Feb. 17 and March 31, 2022.

⁵ Comparing Airbnb’s Q4 ADR for two bedroom, two bathroom listings to an average ADR for Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton based on publicly available Q4 financial reporting.

⁶ According to a survey by Sleep Foundation.

⁷ According to internal Airbnb data looking at Canadian Host income based on guests booking with families for stays in Canada that occurred between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2022.