2024 Kentucky Derby is near, bringing influx of travelers after record tourism year in 2023
Louisville and surrounding communities have been pretty lively since Thunder Over Louisville, with the 2024 Kentucky Derby just days away.
The 150th event, slated for May 4, might seem like any other Derby celebration, but something is in the air for this anniversary festivity. According to a news release from Airbnb, searches for Airbnb listings near Louisville during Derby week have skyrocketed since 2023.
2024 Kentucky Derby: When is the Kentucky Derby? Everything to know ahead of the Run for the Roses in 2024
2024 Kentucky Derby, travelers increasingly looking for rentals, listings
According to the news release, searches on Airbnb rentals in Louisville and neighboring communities during Derby week for 2024, April 28 to May 4, have risen over 30% since 2023 (April 30 to May 6).
In 2023, over 7,000 guests were welcomed by Airbnb hosts during the week leading up to race day. The average guest spent approximately $220 per day, with over 40% of total daily spending in the neighborhood of the Airbnb listing.
150th Kentucky Derby: Where are travelers coming from?
According to the Airbnb news release, the top cities where travelers are making reservations for Derby week in 2024 are:
Indianapolis
Chicago
New York City
Atlanta
Charlotte
2024 Kentucky Derby: Louisville area neighborhoods to stay at
Some of the most popular Louisville area neighborhoods people stay in for Derby include:
Jeffersonville, Indiana
West Buechel, Kentucky
St. Matthews, Kentucky
Bardstown, Kentucky
Madison, Indiana
Shively, Kentucky
Louisville, Indiana
Madison, Kentucky
150th Kentucky Derby: Influx of travelers to Louisville Airport anticipated
According to the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, Airbnb isn't the only one seeing a large increase in numbers surrounding Derby. Over 34,000 seats are expected to arrive to the airport between Wednesday, May 1, and Friday, May 3.
On the busiest day, Thursday, May 2, over 15,000 seats on 116 flights will arrive. May 3 will have over 10,000 seats on 86 flights arriving, and May 1 will see over 8,500 across 74 flights.
"Departure Sunday," on May 5, is the most popular time for departures after Derby, and the busiest day of the year at Louisville's airport. Around 17,000 seats on over 120 flights will depart throughout the day, with over 10,000 departure seats scheduled on Monday, May 6.
Dan Mann, Executive Director of the Louisville Regional Airport Authority, said 2024 could potentially be a record year. “This year’s Derby schedules from the airlines are very robust thanks to even more flights to destinations we currently serve as well as those routes added for this event only. Our team has been in constant communications with the airlines about the significant increases we can expect for the 150th anniversary and plans are in place for what we believe could be a record year for SDF.”
150 Kentucky Derby follows 2023 record tourism in Louisville
As previously reported by The Courier Journal, the 150th Kentucky Derby follows a record-breaking year for tourism in 2023. Last year, over 250,000 people visited the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs, and it was the busiest year on record at the airport with over 4.6 million passengers traveling through.
Louder Than Life also saw a record-breaking number of festival-goers, and the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory saw a new record for single-day attendance.
2024 Tourism in Louisville
2024 marks a big year for tourism in the Louisville area. As previously reported by The Courier Journal, the 150th Kentucky Derby and Oaks is expected to bring in 256,000 guests and over $405 million in economic impact, making it the largest tourism event of the year.
Following closely is the PGA Championship, anticipated to bring in 200,000 visitors and about $78.5 million in economic impact. Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life tend to be fairly popular as well.
New to the city this year, which could impact tourist numbers, include Jack Harlow's Gazebo Festival and Bourbon and Belonging, Kentucky's queer bourbon week.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Derby 2024: Louisville sees increased interest in Airbnbs, flights
