January 2024 Booking Statistics: A Deep Dive into Trends and Insights
The start of a new year is always an exciting time for the hospitality and accommodation sector. As January unfolds, we gain valuable insights into customer behaviour, booking patterns, and overall industry performance. This analysis explores the booking statistics for January 2024, comparing trends from previous years and evaluating how guests discovered and secured their stays. The data presented here provides a comprehensive look at the evolving landscape of travel and accommodation booking habits.
Growth in Bookings: A Strong Start to 2024
One of the most significant takeaways from this year’s data is the remarkable growth in bookings. Over the last four years, January bookings have steadily increased:
- 2022: 21 bookings
- 2023: 49 bookings
- 2024: 81 bookings
- 2025: 156 bookings
Departures: More Guests Checking Out
- 2022: 8 departures
- 2023: 11 departures
- 2024: 18 departures
- 2025: 45 departures
Nights Spent: A Fluctuating Trend
- 2022: 32 nights
- 2023: 239 nights
- 2024: 214 nights
- 2025: 160 nights
This shows that despite the increased amount of bookings, the night stayed are lower, indicating more short term breaks were booked this year compared to the last two years.
How Guests Are Booking: A Shift in Platforms
Booking Channels Comparison (2024 vs 2025)
| Booking Channel | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbnb | 9 | 29 | +20 |
| Booking.com | 42 | 75 | +33 |
| 4 | 0 | -4 | |
| 7 | 10 | +3 | |
| Owners Direct | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Repeat Guests | 7 | 6 | -1 |
| TripAdvisor | 8 | 11 | +3 |
| Word of Mouth | 1 | 11 | +10 |
| Visit Devon | 2 | 5 | +3 |
| Visit South Devon | 0 | 7 | +7 |
| Sykes | 0 | 7 | +7 |
| Total | 81 | 156 | +75 |
Summary of Findings
- Significant Growth – Total bookings increased from 81 in 2024 to 156 in 2025 (+75).
- Booking.com Dominance – Booking.com remains the top source, rising from 42 to 75 (+33).
- Airbnb Surge – Airbnb bookings more than tripled, increasing from 9 to 29 (+20).
- Word of Mouth Impact – Jumped from 1 to 11, suggesting stronger customer recommendations.
- New Channels – Visit South Devon and Sykes contributed 7 bookings each in 2025.
- Decline in Facebook Bookings – Dropped to 0 from 4, showing that Facebook advertising no longer works due to its market saturation.
- Stable or Slight Changes – Google, Owners Direct, Repeat Guests, and TripAdvisor saw only small variations.
Key Takeaways from Booking Channel Analysis
- Booking.com Dominates: The number of bookings made through Booking.com increased significantly. Amy will be looking at pushing for an increase in guest feedback via this mortal to further leverage this market.
- Airbnb’s Rise: Bookings via Airbnb more than tripled.
- The Decline of Facebook: No bookings were recorded from Facebook in 2025.
- Word of Mouth is Growing: Personal recommendations played a much larger role in 2025.
- Regional Tourism Platforms Gaining Traction: Visit Devon, Visit South Devon, and Sykes emerged as new booking sources.
Looking Ahead
The insights from January 2024’s booking statistics provide valuable lessons for accommodation providers. As we move forward, it will be essential to adapt to changing consumer behaviours, leverage the most effective booking channels, and provide exceptional guest experiences to encourage repeat business and positive word-of-mouth referrals.
We have so far taken 12.3% of the total bookings taken in 2024. This, with the bookings that were booked last year for 2025, is meaning that we are on track for having another strong and successful year.