Yellowstone Times

Vacation rental owners in Montana are seeing a sudden increase in the number of people looking to book reservations in the state, according to data from AirDNA.

Most Airbnbs, VRBOs and HomeAways are seeing a decrease in the number of people booking reservations, but not in Montana. The state offers a perfect location with plenty of room for people to social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Montana Free Press. 

Research from AirDNA shows that rural areas have seen gains up to 27% in the vacation rental industry in the past couple of years. 

Eric Fullerton, director of marketing for AirDNA, said, “Montana tended to follow some of the other trends of people appearing to be escaping major cities."

The increase in vacation rentals has health officials in Park and Gallatin counties concerned. 

“We’re concerned about anybody moving around right now,” Matt Kelley, health officer for the Gallatin City-County Health Department, told Montana Free Press. “Our goal is to encourage people to stay home. If that home is here, that’s one thing, but now is not the time for tourism. Hunker down. Stay home.”

A stay-at-home order was issued for Montana by Gov. Steve Bullock. The governor said the order will prevent people from moving around in the state. It can't stop people from traveling into Montana, but once they are in the state the order will apply to them. 

“Once you’re in the state, whether you’re a Montanan or not, I expect you’ll follow this directive,” Bullock told the Free Press. 

And some vacation rental owners are helping out to encourage people not to visit Montana during the pandemic. 

"It's important for us to not encourage people to come here," Brooke Laird, owner of Key Property Management in Livingston, told the outlet. 

On Facebook, Laird said she has canceled all bookings and won't allow any more until May 1.

“It’s tough, though, because I manage homes for owners who need income. It’s 100% of my income, but I feel like there is no choice,” Laird told Montana Free Press. 

According to AirDNA, once more areas and states issue a stay-at-home order, vacation rental revenues should drop. 

But the number of people looking for vacation rentals isn't the only thing that has increased. Several Montana communities have also seen an increase in the number of households staying in their second homes during the pandemic. 

Big Sky, a community in Montana where many people have second homes, has seen an increase in households occupying these homes, Visit Big Sky CEO Candace Carr Strauss told Montana Free Press. 

Laird also said that many of the owners of her vacation rentals are now occupying their properties as well.