A new partnership between Airbnb and Visit North Carolina aims to boost tourism across the rural areas of the state.
The goal of their “Dream Big in Small Town NC” collaboration is to get people out of the city and off the grid -- increasing tourism to more rural areas and boosting local economies, said Haven Thorn, Airbnb North America communications manager.
“Domestic nights booked in rural North Carolina have more than doubled, reaching 1.5 million nights booked since 2019,” Thorn told News 13 on Sunday, May 15.
According to Thorn, people are increasingly opting for more rural retreats. It’s a win-win for small towns and Airbnb hosts, he said.
“New hosts in North Carolina earned approximately $75 million just in 2021 alone,” Thorn said.
Ashley Stockton is an Airbnb host in Haywood County. Her true log cabin in Maggie Valley stays booked – oftentimes six months out, she said.
“This place honestly is just the best-kept secret of western North Carolina,” Stockton said. “The beauty of this area is, you come, and you stay here and you’re almost transported back 50 years ago."
According to Stockton, since listing the cabin on Airbnb three years ago, she has hosted more than 200 guests and is optimistic about their contribution to the area, as more tourists means more dollars spent locally.
Stockton admitted it is a double-edged sword, though. She said she doesn’t want her hidden gem to lose its shine.
“I love the idea that it’s obviously going back into areas like Maggie Valley that don’t have a lot of money flowing into their economy,” Stockton said. “But it’s a little scary because these places are so special because so many people don’t know about them.”
Graham, Haywood, Madison, Mitchell and Yancey counties are all being highlighted during the year-long partnership between Airbnb and Visit North Carolina.
To check out Stockton’s Airbnb, click HERE.
For more information on the partnership between Airbnb and Visit North Carolina, click HERE.