Smokies makes Airbnb’s top places to visit

The Great Smoky Mountains ranked high on Airbnb’s international list of 19 places to visit, beating destinations in Japan and Scotland.

The list was compiled using Airbnb search data, wishlist data and booking data. The more a particular place was booked, searched for or added to a wishlist on Airbnb, the higher it rose on the list.

This year, Airbnb found a 191 percent increase in the number of bookings for the Great Smoky Mountains from the previous year. More tourists who search for places to stay in the mountains are also taking the next step and making arrangements to travel there.

The mountains ranked fifth on the list, bested only by destinations like Normandy, France, or Kaikoura, New Zealand, and ahead of places such as Taiwan and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“We’re once again forecasting growing interest in more off-the-beaten-path regions, cities and towns to explore,” said Ali Killam, Airbnb’s consumer trends spokesperson.

Since the mountains are near Pigeon Forge and close to popular destinations like Dollywood, the mountains offer something for both nature-lovers and thrill-seekers. Airbnb also noted that some of the increased tourism is due to popular hiking trails reopening after the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires.

Because the mountains are part of UNESCO’s Southern Appalachian International Biosphere Reserve, they also appeal to people looking to explore nature. These reserves are designated spaces where people can study how ecological systems interact with social systems, especially how regional development can affect the surrounding environment.

The Smoky Mountains cover more than 520,000 acres of land, or around 800 square miles. Within that area, there are 65 species of mammals, 67 kinds of fish, more than 200 kinds of birds and 80 reptile species. Also, there are more than 1,600 different kinds of flowering plants throughout the park.

Overall, Airbnb found most of the places on its list were seeing more healthy tourism, which benefits travelers and residents alike. The company found that travelers to places on the list were hoping to have a positive effect on the places and people they visit, Killam said.

The company also found people usually schedule experiences through its platform. The two major ones were a whiskey and moonshine tasting and a photography class in the mountains.

This is the first time the mountains found a spot on Airbnb’s list. Searches for the region are also expected to grow on Airbnb as the mountains continue to recover from the deadly wildfires in 2016, Killam said.