The Hudson Valley and Catskills regions are the place to be for travelers in 2019, at least according to the folks at Airbnb.
The travel website released a list Monday of the 19 top destinations for the new year, which included the Hudson Valley region and Catskill Mountains. The list is based on Airbnb’s search, booking and wish list data. “We”™re once again forecasting growing interest in more off-the-beaten-path regions, cities and towns to explore,” the post said.
Airbnb said searches for places to stay in the Hudson Valley and Catskills were up 130 percent in October and November 2018 compared with the same months a year earlier. The number of bookings in the region for 2019 that the site has already received are double that of this point last year for 2018.
Working in the region’s favor next year, according to Airbnb, is the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock music festival in Sullivan County. One of Woodstock’s original promoters told the Poughkeepsie Journal in November that there are “definite plans” for some type of celebration festival.
Airbnb also cited the region’s wildlife and hiking trails, linking to an Airbnb “experience” host who offers guided day hikes out of Hudson.
The Catskills, Airbnb’s list reads, “provide the perfect backdrop for a laid-back, season-agnostic retreat. And along the Hudson River, aspiring second-career farmers and growers can find inspiration by visiting the area”™s many vineyards, orchards and farms.”
Also included as top destinations were:
- Kaikoura, New Zealand
- Xiamen, China
- Puebla, Mexico
- Normandy, France
- Great Smoky Mountains, U.S.
- Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
- Accra, Ghana
- Mozambique
- Outer Hebrides, Scotland
- Wakayama Prefecture, Japan
- Santa Catarina State, Brazil
- Batumi, Georgia
- Winnipeg, Canada
- Pondicherry, India
- Uzbekistan
- Calabria, Italy
- Andalucia, Spain
- Taiwan
View the full list here.
