West Virginia experienced growth in the hotel industry this year, Airbnb, which offers residents a chance to rent out their own properties for extra income, also noticed a bump.
Airbnb recently announced its West Virginia participants earned a total of $10 million in supplemental income in 2018.
Those hosts also welcomed about 90,000 guests to the Mountain State this year.
Monongalia County was the sixth most popular destination in the state, welcoming 4,800 guests for a total of $479,000 in host income. Preston came in 11th with 2,300 guests and $239,000 in total host income.
According to an Airbnb press release, data shows Airbnb complements West Virginia’s hotel industry, rather than competing with it.
“The most recent report from the West Virginia Tourism Office indicates that West Virginia hotels experienced dynamic growth in occupancy, nights sold and overall revenue, even as local hosts welcomed tens of thousands of guests,” Airbnb stated. “This suggests that Airbnb is opening up the state to a new slice of prospective tourists by catering to travelers less able to afford hotels, those who desire to stay in neighborhoods or cities that lack hotels, and families who prefer to be together under one roof.”
Airbnb has more than 900 hosts in West Virginia now, and on average, they earn about $7,300 annually in supplemental income.
“The home sharing community provides significant value through expanded lodging capacity for West Virginia communities when hotels sell out during big events,” Airbnb said. “These include Morgantown during college football weekends, the Snowshoe region during ski season and Charleston during legislative session.”
Also in 2018, Airbnb rolled out its Experiences to West Virginia campaign, which offered handcrafted activities led by experts in several cities across the state. Airbnb plans to expand its Experiences offerings in 2019.
The most popular county in West Virginia for Airbnb this year was Pocahontas, with 11,000 guests bringing in $1.7 million in total host income. It was followed by Jefferson with 13,000 hosts and $1.4 million in income, and then Tucker with 10,000 hosts and $1.1 million in income.
Snowshoe Mountain Resort, Cranberry Glades and the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad are all in Pocahontas County.
Jefferson is the easternmost county in West Virginia and is home to Harpers Ferry, a town known for its Civil War history and 19th-century buildings.
Tucker County is well-known for its ski resorts — it’s home to Canaan Valley and Timberline — and Blackwater Falls State Park.
Morgantown Area News
'Friday, November 15, 2024'
