Online travel agencies bring more tourists to the countryside

An Oxford Economics study shows that online travel platform users are much more likely to be booking their next holiday in the countryside compared to the travel accommodation market as a whole. On average, 16 percent of European travel accommodation sales are for properties in rural areas, however, more than a third of online travel platform sales are for country accommodations. This trend is likely the result of the broader range of accommodations listed on online sales platforms, which tend to host properties on equal standing. This comparison model therefore gives rural and independent properties greater exposure alongside other accommodations located at tourism hotspots or belonging to large chains.