City a top destination for homestay visitors

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on March 21, 2025.

Herald file photo by Ian Martens - Lethbridge, with attractions such at Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden, has been named one of the one of the top trending domestic destinations for Canadians.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

This season, Lethbridge has been named one of the top trending domestic destinations for Canadians travelling domestically according to AirBnB insights.

Matt McNama, senior communications manager for Airbnb in Canada, says based on searches of where Canadians want to book Airbnb accommodations, they noticed that many were looking at Lethbridge, not only to travel from different areas across the province but from across the country.

“We ran an analysis to see where Canadians were going for Spring specifically, and compared it to last year and Lethbridge was on the list, which makes sense because Lethbridge has a lot going for it and it’s a great destination,” says McNama.

the city draws in people not just for vacations but also for conferences, sporting events, outdoor activities, and the food scene. As a result, many Canadians are showing interest in visiting and booking Airbnb accommodations.

“I think other components of this is affordability, as Canadians are facing a cost-of-living crisis, so they’re coming from nearby destinations as opposed to going overseas,” says McNama.

 He says data shows visitors are coming from places such as Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Regina, and Toronto.

 “I think that’s indicative to not only Lethbridge is a great destination, but also an attractive place for someone who’s looking for an affordable destination,” says McNama.

Airbnb has been serving the Lethbridge community and visitors for 15 years in areas where hotels are not found nearby to allow visitors to stay close to family or friends they are visiting or simply to be able to stay within a residential neighbourhood.

“We did analysis last year that looked at where Airbnb are versus where hotels are, and we found that about 50 per cent of Canada was home to Airbnb listings in areas that have no hotels,” says McNama.

Their analysis also found that more than 50 per cent of their guests spend almost half of their spending dollars directly in the neighbourhood of their listing.

 “That’s to say that if someone has booked an Airbnb in Lethbridge, they’re going down the streets to a restaurant, they’re going to the coffee shop nearby, they’re going to the local retailer around the corner, and that could have a huge impact when it comes to just overall economic impact from having visitors spread and dispersed across the city.”

Another reason why people continue to choose Lethbridge as a destination is for the ability to visit all year round.

“From the tourist perspective, obviously there’s a big wave of Canadian pride right now and by travelling, Canadians are supporting other small business owners, including those who have Airbnb listings,” says McNama.

When looking at listings within Lethbridge, many can be found in neighbourhoods located in the west and north ends of the city, with a few in the residential areas of the south.