Here’s How to Make Money off of 2018’s Unexpected Travel Trends

Even if you’re not into traveling and the whole #Wanderlust thing, understanding 2018’s travel predictions could help you bank extra money this new year.

How? If you keep your finger to the traveler’s pulse, you could cash out by listing your space — even your couch — on Airbnb.

The space-sharing platform recently released its 2018 Travel Trend Forecast, based on booking data for the first half of the new year.

Let’s take a look at what it found for the U.S. — then let’s cash out.

Airbnb’s 2018 Travel Trends Just Might Surprise You

Paris, London, Tokyo… Indianapolis?

No, the most popular cities on Airbnb likely won’t shock you. All the international staples made the list.

The three U.S. cities to make the top 10 include:

• New York City

• Orlando

• Miami

But some of Airbnb’s travel trends for 2018 are pretty unexpected. These are cities where 2018 bookings have already doubled or tripled compared to 2017.

Trending U.S. destinations that made the list include:

• Indianapolis, Indiana, with a 256% booking increase

• Columbus, Ohio, with a 254% increase

• Minneapolis, Minnesota, with a 193% increase

“In the United States, midwestern cities… are seeing some of the strongest growth,” Airbnb observes, “driven by booming downtown districts humming with new restaurants, nightlife and local arts.”

The platform also predicts towns that offer nature lodging or that are close to national parks (think: Whitefish, Montana) will also see a spike.

In fact, trending homes include nature lodges, ryokans (traditional Japanese inns), yurts and RV/camper vans.

If you’re interested to see how much your space — even couch — could make on Airbnb per month, check out the site’s estimator.

Enter your location, the number of guests and whether you’re listing an entire place or a shared room.

In some places, Airbnb income could pay rent!

Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s already booked Airbnbs in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Austin, Texas, for her 2018 adventures.