AirBnb Reveal Kilkenny Is The Top Trending Summer Destination In Europe

If you are in any way involved with the promotion of tourism in Kilkenny, or the greater Kilkenny region, then I strongly recommend you take a minute to compose yourself before this news is fully revealed to you. If you are excitable, I recommend that you pre-emptively sit down and perhaps move any valuable items out of the immediate firing line so that you do not cause damage to anything around you when you leap up in excitement. If you are of a very excitable disposition then I have to insist that, before revealing this news to you, you go into a darkened room, attach a wallet in your mouth and lash yourself to a bed, or some other large piece of furniture, using some cord or a belt, to prevent you from either swallowing your tongue, or destroying something close by when you are sent into paroxysms of joy by the news I am about to impart to you regarding Kilkenny.

I will give you a minute to execute either of these scenarios. If you are in no way involved with Kilkenny's tourist board then please, carry on as normal.

AirBnb has revealed that Kilkenny is the top trending destination for Irish travelers in Europe this summer. This is clearly a great achievement for the city, which should in no way be diminished by the inclusion of the caveats 'trending', 'for Irish travelers', 'in Europe', or 'summer'. It has illustrated the highest proportional increase of interest out of any European city, with a growth rate of 144% over last year.

AirBnb calculates its trending destinations by assessing annual changes in bookings numbers in all regions which receive more than 50 bookings in its summer season. For 2019, the summer season is calculated as being from (June 1 - Sept 4) and in 2018 it was (June 2 - Sept 5) and Kilkenny has apparently exhibited an increase of 144% in its bookings compared to last year - again, from Irish travelers booking a European destination between these dates.

Kilkenny is doing well to beat other, more superficially illustrious destinations to the title - including Split and Lisbon. While both of these destinations may boast warm climates, beautiful beaches and delicious seafood, are they within spitting distance of an actual* haunted cave like Kilkenny is to Dunmore Cave? Well, possibly, I am not as familiar with the haunted geological formations of either of these two European destinations.

The full list is as follows.