Tourism statisticsContinent2026

South America Tourism Statistics: 11,753,697 Airbnb Stays

Q: What is the quietest month in South America?

May was the quietest Airbnb month in South America in the 12 months to October 2026, ranking 12th of 12, and April ranked 11th. Stays in May were booked about 22 days ahead, against 41 days for December.

Q: How long is a typical Airbnb stay in South America?

A typical Airbnb stay in South America lasted 5.2 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 32 days ahead. By month, stays ran from 4.0 nights in September to 6.0 nights in July.

AirROI estimates 11,753,697 Airbnb stays in South America in the 12 months to October 2026, with São Paulo the most booked city. The busiest month was January.

Source: AirROI Reviewed by Jun Zhou, Founder @ AirROI Updated November 4, 2026

Airbnb figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026. Read the method

Estimated Airbnb stays: 11,753,697
Estimated Airbnb nights: 61,212,526
Typical Airbnb stay: 5.2 nights
Busiest Airbnb month: January
Outside their home country, among guests who left a review: 29%

Key facts

South America Tourism Facts

Each sentence names its place, period and source, so it can be quoted alone.

Airbnb stays

AirROI puts Airbnb stays in South America at 11,753,697 in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Airbnb stays in South America added up to 61,212,526 nights in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates a typical Airbnb stay in South America lasted 5.2 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 32 days ahead.

Busiest months

AirROI ranks January the busiest Airbnb month in South America in the 12 months to October 2026, followed by December and March, with May the quietest.
AirROI estimates the four busiest Airbnb months in South America ran unbroken from December to March in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Airbnb stays in South America in December were booked furthest ahead, about 41 days, against 22 days for May, in the 12 months to October 2026.

Guests

AirROI estimates 29% of Airbnb guests who left a review in South America as of October 2026 stayed outside their home country, led by Brazil at 53% and the United States at 7.4%.
Among Airbnb guests who left a review in South America as of October 2026, São Paulo was the top origin city at 11%, ahead of Rio de Janeiro at 3.9%, AirROI estimates.

By place

AirROI estimates São Paulo had the most Airbnb stays of any city it tracks in South America in the 12 months to October 2026, at 804,665, ahead of Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.
AirROI estimates Brazil had the most Airbnb stays of the 13 countries it tracks in South America in the 12 months to October 2026, at 7,341,290, ahead of Colombia and Argentina.

Airbnb stays

Airbnb Stays in South America

South America had 751,639 Airbnb homes in the 12 months to October 2026. They took an estimated 11,753,697 stays and 61,212,526 nights. A typical stay lasted 5.2 nights and was booked about 32 days ahead. AirROI's figures cover the 1,907 towns it tracks in South America; places it does not track are not counted, so every total is a floor.

Airbnb homes: 751,639
Airbnb stays, estimate: 11,753,697
Airbnb nights, estimate: 61,212,526
Typical stay: 5.2 nights
Booked ahead: 32 days

Busiest months

When Is the Busiest Time in South America?

On Airbnb, January was the busiest month in South America in the 12 months to October 2026, then December and March. May was the quietest. The four busiest months run unbroken from December to March.

January ranks first, May last

Airbnb months in calendar order, 12 months to October 2026. The number is the month's rank, and 1 is the busiest. The bar shows its part of Airbnb nights.

Three busiest months
Other months

From busiest to quietest: January, December, March, February, July, November, September, October, August, June, April, May.

Month by month: rank, typical stay and days booked ahead

Airbnb months in South America by rank, with share of nights, typical stay and days booked ahead, 12 months to October 2026
Rank	Month	Share of nights	Typical stay	Booked ahead
1	January	10.1%	5.8 nights	37 days
2	December	9.0%	5.6 nights	41 days
3	March	8.7%	5.1 nights	25 days
4	February	8.5%	5.3 nights	34 days
5	July	8.5%	6.0 nights	30 days
6	November	8.3%	4.9 nights	35 days
7	September	8.2%	4.0 nights	25 days
8	October	8.1%	4.7 nights	28 days
9	August	8.1%	4.8 nights	28 days
10	June	7.7%	5.1 nights	23 days
11	April	7.4%	4.6 nights	25 days
12	May	7.4%	4.7 nights	22 days

Share is each month's part of the year's Airbnb nights. Typical stay and days booked ahead are AirROI estimates for stays in each month.

Where guests come from

Where Do Airbnb Guests in South America Come From?

Among Airbnb guests who left a review in South America as of October 2026, 29% stayed outside their home country, and the top origins were Brazil at 53% and the United States at 7.4%, AirROI estimates. Among the same guests, São Paulo was the top origin city at 11%, ahead of Rio de Janeiro at 3.9%. The figures rest on 29,128,503 reviews, written over many years.

29% outside their home country

Among guests who left a review, as of October 2026

Top origin countries

Among guests who left a review

Brazil 53%
United States 7.4%
Chile 6.5%
Argentina 6%
Colombia 5.7%
Ecuador 2.1%

Top origin cities

Among guests who left a review

São Paulo 11%
Rio de Janeiro 3.9%
Santiago 2.1%
Bogotá 2%
Buenos Aires 1.6%

Top cities

Most Booked Cities in South America

São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires took 17% of Airbnb stays in South America in the 12 months to October 2026. Among guests who left a review, the share from abroad across these cities runs from 2% in Praia Grande to 76% in Medellín.

Most Booked Cities in South America: Airbnb stays, nights and typical stay, 12 months to October 2026; with origin among guests who left a review
#
1	São Paulo	804,665	4,183,990	5.2 nights	14%	Brazil	November
2	Rio de Janeiro	696,132	4,092,109	5.9 nights	43%	Brazil	March
3	Buenos Aires	481,201	3,738,877	7.8 nights	67%	Argentina	November
4	Medellín	270,178	1,707,433	6.3 nights	76%	US	December
5	Florianópolis	231,643	1,560,804	6.7 nights	27%	Brazil	January
6	Cartagena	219,878	1,012,089	4.6 nights	70%	US	January
7	Lima	203,001	1,310,607	6.5 nights	66%	Peru	January
8	Ubatuba	202,613	942,117	4.6 nights	8%	Brazil	January
9	Salvador	126,236	729,707	5.8 nights	25%	Brazil	January
10	Curitiba	123,445	730,026	5.9 nights	7.1%	Brazil	December
11	João Pessoa	121,996	623,914	5.1 nights	5.8%	Brazil	January
12	Bogotá	121,956	768,573	6.3 nights	64%	Colombia	August
13	Guarujá	119,263	504,845	4.2 nights	3.8%	Brazil	January
14	Santiago	110,175	571,598	5.2 nights	51%	Chile	August
15	Praia Grande	103,053	452,316	4.4 nights	2%	Brazil	January
16	São Sebastião	101,288	479,872	4.7 nights	6.3%	Brazil	January
17	Ipojuca	100,230	502,197	5.0 nights	17%	Brazil	January
18	Santa Marta	96,720	448,512	4.6 nights	42%	Colombia	January
19	Cabo Frio	90,520	464,035	5.1 nights	14%	Brazil	January
20	Foz do Iguaçu	88,801	379,830	4.3 nights	17%	Brazil	January
21	San Carlos de Bariloche	84,828	480,179	5.7 nights	64%	Argentina	January
22	Maceió	82,498	448,167	5.4 nights	12%	Brazil	January
23	Bertioga	79,566	357,010	4.5 nights	3.1%	Brazil	January
24	Balneário Camboriú	78,701	447,749	5.7 nights	15%	Brazil	January
25	Belo Horizonte	78,068	443,052	5.7 nights	8.9%	Brazil	September

* Among guests who left a review. Stays, nights and other figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, and cover Airbnb only. Ranked by Airbnb stays. The top 25 cities.

By country

Airbnb Stays by Country in South America

Brazil, Colombia and Argentina took 83% of Airbnb stays in South America in the 12 months to October 2026. January is the busiest Airbnb month in 5 of the 13 countries, led by Brazil, and August in 4, led by Peru. Among guests who left a review, the share from abroad across these countries runs from 13% in Brazil to over 99% in Suriname.

Airbnb Stays by Country in South America: Airbnb stays, nights and typical stay, 12 months to October 2026; with origin among guests who left a review
#
1	Brazil	7,341,290	36,898,066	5.0 nights	13%	Brazil	January
2	Colombia	1,349,521	7,031,413	5.2 nights	55%	Colombia	December
3	Argentina	1,103,460	6,949,455	6.3 nights	58%	Argentina	January
4	Chile	869,623	4,299,276	4.9 nights	37%	Chile	January
5	Peru	494,565	2,711,890	5.5 nights	62%	Peru	August
6	Ecuador	235,410	1,060,631	4.5 nights	32%	Ecuador	August
7	Uruguay	187,961	1,216,875	6.5 nights	54%	Uruguay	January
8	Bolivia	60,708	333,914	5.5 nights	69%	Bolivia	December
9	Paraguay	57,039	397,978	7.0 nights	83%	Brazil	January
10	Venezuela	42,826	235,670	5.5 nights	55%	Venezuela	September
11	French Guiana	4,076	24,551	6.0 nights	68%	France	August
12	Guyana	3,784	24,612	6.5 nights	97%	US	August
13	Suriname	3,434	28,196	8.2 nights	over 99%	Netherlands	November

* Among guests who left a review, as in the table above. Stays, nights and other Airbnb figures cover the same 12 months.

FAQ

Questions About Tourism in South America

When is high season in South America?

The busiest Airbnb month in South America in the 12 months to October 2026 was January, then December and March. The four busiest months run from December to March.

What is the quietest month in South America?

May was the quietest Airbnb month in South America in the 12 months to October 2026, ranking 12th of 12, and April ranked 11th. Stays in May were booked about 22 days ahead, against 41 days for December.

How long is a typical Airbnb stay in South America?

A typical Airbnb stay in South America lasted 5.2 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 32 days ahead. By month, stays ran from 4.0 nights in September to 6.0 nights in July.

Where do Airbnb guests in South America come from?

Of Airbnb guests who left a review in South America as of October 2026, 29% stayed outside their home country, AirROI estimates. The largest groups were Brazil at 53% and the United States at 7.4%. Among the same guests, the top origin city was São Paulo at 11%, ahead of Rio de Janeiro at 3.9%.

What are the most booked cities in South America on Airbnb?

AirROI estimates the most booked were São Paulo (804,665 stays), Rio de Janeiro (696,132 stays) and Buenos Aires (481,201 stays) in the 12 months to October 2026. This ranks Airbnb stays only.

Method

How These Numbers Are Made

Stays and nights are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, built from Airbnb listing data, and cover Airbnb only. Nights add up each town's stays times its typical stay, across 1,907 towns. Month ranks compare each month's part of Airbnb nights. Origin rests on 29,128,503 reviews and describes guests who left a review, not everyone who stayed. Read the method page.