Airbnb wants to help travelers see lesser-visited national parks

Airbnb and the National Park Foundation have launched a campaign to help travelers to check out lesser-visited national parks, either in person or virtually. As rural stays and nearby trips grow in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, they aim to remind people of the many opportunities there are to explore locally.

Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River.jpg — Travelers can check out Mojave National Preserve © Airbnb/National Park Foundation

The campaign will invite the Airbnb community to find tranquility at Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River in New York and Pennsylvania; embark on an alpine adventure at North Cascades National Park Service Complex in Washington; and be immersed in the mystic landscape of Mojave National Preserve in California.

Along with a new landing page highlighting these parks, Airbnb has also created a new digital experience called Sounds of the World, to bring visitors into the Mojave Desert’s protected mesas, canyons, mountains and mines from afar. Through recordings of the sounds of the desert, illustrations and tips from local hosts, guests will be able to enjoy Mojave, even if they cannot visit in person.

Rcoks in the river at Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River — Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River in New York and Pennsylvania © Airbnb/National Park Foundation

“Travelers are getting in their cars with their families and going over hill and dale to safely and responsibly explore their own backyards in the great outdoors, and national parks represent the perfect destination,” says Chris Lehane, senior vice president for global public policy and communications at Airbnb.

“Many Americans are learning that they live within 100 miles of a national park, just a short drive away. Through our partnership with the National Park Foundation, we are lifting the veil over three specific less-traveled parks, connecting our guests to places they may not have otherwise thought to discover and driving tourism’s economic engine into even more communities.”

Travelers can visit Airbnb's page to discover more about these lesser-visited national parks.

Lockdowns are easing globally as the planet adjusts to a new normal. Find out how COVID-19 is changing travel.