Why am I getting many bookings on Booking.com but hardly any on Airbnb?

[Marius316]

Hi everyone 👋

I’ve been hosting for about two years now, and honestly, it’s been an amazing journey. My property does really well on Booking.com — I get consistent reservations and great guest feedback.

But here’s the confusing part: on Airbnb, I barely get any bookings at all. My listing is active, verified, has strong photos, detailed descriptions, and good pricing. I’ve checked my settings, updated my calendar regularly, and even played around with Smart Pricing — but still, nothing seems to change.

Has anyone else experienced this? Or maybe there’s something specific about the Airbnb algorithm or listing setup that I might be missing?

I’d love to hear your insights, tips, or anything that could help me improve my visibility and get more bookings here on Airbnb.

Thanks a lot in advance 🙏
— Marius
Host of Sunrise Apartment, Benoni (South Africa)

[Andrea6232]

Buongiorno @Marius316 ,

one reason could be that Airbnb's ranking algorithm does not favor listings that have a very busy calendar 😉

Andrea

[Helen3]

It's a catch 22 @Marius316 if you have limited capacity because you are booked out on other platforms you will fall down the Airbnb rankings as they prioritise listings with early availability.

[Joan2709]

@Marius316 

As already mentioned, if you calendar has alot of bookings on another platform, you of course will not have availability on Airbnb.

I suggest my clients start with Airbnb first. Then after a few months, try branching out to other platforms one at a time. I also suggest Hosts start considering a direct booking site as well.