Brandwave

How popular isAirbnb?

In September 2026, people searched for Airbnb by name about 166,000 times in New Zealand, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 59.6% of all New Zealand holiday home rental searches, placing Airbnb first out of six rentals. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about holiday home rentals, Airbnb appeared in three of the four answers and was the second most recommended of the six.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Airbnb is the most searched of 6 competitors and the second most recommended in AI answers.

  1. AirbnbShare of searches 59.6%Mentioned in 3 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  2. Booking.comShare of searches 33%Mentioned in 2 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  3. BookabachShare of searches 5.4%Mentioned in 3 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  4. BachcareShare of searches 1%Mentioned in 3 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  5. VrboShare of searches 0.87%Mentioned in 3 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th

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Top holiday home rentals in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Airbnb was mentioned in three out of four: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Airbnb is the second most recommended of the six.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Bookabach1st
  2. Airbnb2nd
  3. Bachcare3rd
  4. Holiday Houses4th
  5. Booking.com5th
  6. Vrbo6th

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Airbnb3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Bookabach3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Bachcare3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Vrbo3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Booking.com2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Holiday Houses2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers

See every answer about holiday home rentals

4 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.

Which holiday home rentals compete with Airbnb?

Airbnb against holiday home rentals in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Airbnb, Booking.com, Bookabach. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthAirbnbBooking.comBookabachBachcareVrboHoliday Houses
Oct 202574.8%15.6%6.7%1.6%1.1%0.19%
Nov 202574.8%15.5%6.7%1.6%1.1%0.19%
Dec 202575.8%15.7%5.6%1.6%1.1%0.18%
Jan 202675.8%15.7%5.6%1.7%1.1%0.17%
Feb 202673.3%18.5%5.4%1.3%1.3%0.14%
Mar 202673.4%18.6%5.4%1.3%1.1%0.16%
Apr 202673.9%18.6%5.4%1.1%0.89%0.12%
May 202671%21.7%5.2%1%0.95%0.14%
Jun 202671%21.8%5.2%1%0.84%0.13%
Jul 202670.2%21.6%6.3%1%0.79%0.13%
Aug 202667%24.9%6%0.97%0.98%0.12%
Sep 202659.6%33%5.4%1%0.87%0.13%

  1. 1.Airbnb

    59.6%

    Held 1st. 166K estimated branded searches, -0.01% vs prior month. Share -7.4 points.

  2. 2.Booking.com

    33%

    Held 2nd. 92K estimated branded searches, +48.6% vs prior month. Share +8.1 points.

  3. 3.Bookabach

    5.4%

    Held 3rd. 14.9K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.7 points.

  4. 4.Bachcare

    1%

    Moved from 5th to 4th. 2.9K estimated branded searches, +20.8% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  5. 5.Vrbo

    0.87%

    Moved from 4th to 5th. 2.4K estimated branded searches, +0.41% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

  6. 6.Holiday Houses

    0.13%

    Held 6th. 350 estimated branded searches, +12.9% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between Airbnb and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Airbnb

5 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Airbnb changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Airbnb in New Zealand held steady at 166K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Airbnb’s share of searches among holiday home rentals in New Zealand decreased from 74.8% to 59.6%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Airbnb’s share of searches among holiday home rentals in New Zealand peaked at 75.8% in December 2025 and was lowest at 59.6% in September 2026.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand holiday home rentals in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Booking.com gained share of searches among holiday home rentals in New Zealand, from 24.9% to 33%.

  2. In September 2026, Airbnb lost share of searches among holiday home rentals in New Zealand, from 67% to 59.6%.

  3. In September 2026, Bookabach lost share of searches among holiday home rentals in New Zealand, from 6% to 5.4%.

  4. In September 2026, Bachcare rose from 5th to 4th among holiday home rentals in New Zealand.

  5. In September 2026, Vrbo fell from 4th to 5th among holiday home rentals in New Zealand.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Holiday Houses in New Zealand fell 16.7% over 12 measured months, from 420 to 350 in September 2026.

How are Airbnb’s branded searches counted?

16 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Airbnb’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • airbnb
  • airbnb accommodation
  • airbnb app
  • airbnb ca
  • airbnb experiences
  • airbnb gift cards
  • airbnb holiday homes
  • airbnb host
  • airbnb house
  • airbnb ie
  • airbnb paekakariki
  • airbnb rentals
  • airbnb voucher
  • airbnb web
  • beach airbnb
  • booking airbnb

Do you work for Airbnb? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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