HOUSTON – With the solar eclipse about two weeks away from gracing us with its presence, it’s only natural that tourists will come along to witness the once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
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That’s not an exaggeration by the way.
According to KPRC 2 Meteorologist Anthony Yanez, the last solar eclipse Houston had was November 1286; College Station and The Woodlands were along the center line. This eclipse started in Texas before going over Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
It shouldn’t be a surprise then that many spectators are expected to travel across the country to get a safe glimpse. Airbnb reports Austin, Dallas, and Hill County were among the most popular cities along the path of totality, where people will get a more ideal sight when the sky completely darkens.
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Houston, meanwhile, was named one of the major cities with the most travelers along the path of totality. We are about 125 miles outside the path of totality.
That means Houston will get a partial eclipse with the moon covering 94% of the sun.
In other words, we might expect the Space City to get more crowded with eager spectators.
Airbnb data reveals an increase of 1000% in searches for places to stay along the eclipse path of totality. Their listings also outnumbered hotels by more than 15 times along the path of totality across North America, offering more amenities and in more communities across the path of totality.
If you haven’t booked a place, it might be too late, but if you’re worried about price gouging during this time, be aware it is illegal.
According to the Texas Attorney General’s office:
Ҥ17.46(b) of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act provides that it is a false, misleading or deceptive act or practice to take advantage of a disaster declared by the Governor under Chapter 418, Government Code, or the President by:
“Selling or leasing fuel, food, medicine, lodging, building material OR Demanding an exorbitant or excessive price in connection with the sale or lease of fuel, food, medicine, lodging, building materials, construction tools, or another necessity.”
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This doesn’t mean price gouging may not take place, and if you find that to be the case as you’re gearing up to witness the solar eclipse, file a Consumer Complaint with the AG’s office.
However, you might not have to worry about price gouging with Airbnb.
Jackie McGraw, a spokesperson for Airbnb, shared details with KPRC 2 (via email) that broke down several initiatives at fostering affordability with their listings, from new pricing tools for Hosts to making those prices more transparent for guests.
“Hosts are free to set their own prices on Airbnb,” McGraw said. “To help them, we developed a pricing tool that allows Hosts to compare similar accommodations near their own for pre-selected dates, allowing them to set a fair price. Four out of every five Hosts use one of our pricing tools.
“We rolled out Total Price Display globally in 2023, which shows guests the full price before taxes in search results, as well as on the map, filter, and listing page,” she added. “Guests can still view a full price breakdown of Airbnb’s service fee, discounts, and taxes before booking.”
And of course, because hosts can set their prices, Airbnb says its transparency tools and round-the-clock support team make things easier for travelers, especially those eager to check out the solar eclipse.
“Where demand for listings on Airbnb increases, we have seen that supply does too, which helps ensure consumers have access to affordable options,” McGraw concluded. “The availability of any individual listing that may have been priced higher means they have not been booked.”