WESTFIELD, NY — With travel costs rising, a new Airbnb report ranks Westfield, N.Y., among the top budget-friendly summer destinations in the country, and local business owners say the recognition is long overdue.
The report found that a third of summer travelers are choosing to stay closer to home, with rural destinations offering memorable experiences at a lower price point.
Airbnb identified Westfield as one of the top under-the-radar spots in the U.S., citing its wine trail culture, Lake Erie shoreline, historic architecture, and local vineyards. The report compared Westfield's appeal to that of the Finger Lakes region, noting that average nightly rates in Westfield come in under $250.
For those who live and work there, the recognition tracks.
"Completely tracks for me," said Chris Riedesel, owner of Mumpsimus Books. "We have so much to offer here. We have the Great Lakes right here. We have a great small town vibe. We have this interesting downtown where people can walk up and down and eat at interesting restaurants and shop at interesting stores. We have a state park just down the road. There's Chautauqua Institution. There's Chautauqua Lake, so we're central to all kinds of recreational activities that can be done in the area."
Riedesel, who recently relocated his shop to a new downtown location, said the summer season is central to how he runs his business.
"It's a huge population bump, and it's a benefit to business owners like me because we plan our business here around the summer season," Riedesel said.
Kathy Archer, owner of Full Strength Coffee Co., said she has watched the seasonal influx grow since she and her daughters opened their shop in December 2020.
"Once we opened and kind of got our feet under us, it's been wonderful business for us ever since and great for the community as well," Archer said. "We get people that live in Westfield or who are traveling, people that are summering here, and our main motto is that anybody could come on in here and feel comfortable and also get quality drinks and food."
"The summer season is very important to the locals, the local businesses," Archer said. "Our winters are a lot more laid back and quiet. In the summer people come to vacation either on Chautauqua Lake or Lake Erie, or just to see the historic values in Western New York."
Archer said Airbnb's findings did not come as a surprise.
"I've seen it for myself," Archer said. "When we first moved here, I grew up here and then we lived down south for years and moved back with our kids and my eldest daughter said, 'Oh, Westfield's kind of like Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls.' It's like this quaint little town. And I would definitely say COVID really brought in more people because people wanted more of a simple life, not as rushed, not as expensive, and more family oriented, country type of style, and Westfield definitely has that. It's a sleepy little town, but it has what you need."
Westfield also sits at the heart of grape country, and Johnson Estate Winery owner Fred Johnson brings a perspective that goes well beyond the vineyard. Johnson majored in development economics at Cornell University and spent 40 years working in corporate agriculture and development projects around the world before retiring to Westfield 13 years ago.
"One of the things I was really interested in was the economic development of Northern Chautauqua County," Johnson said. "A big piece of that has been the wine trail, of which we are a founding member."
The growth has been significant. Johnson said that 30 years ago, wineries in the area might have seen 3,000 or 4,000 visitors a year. Now, he said, his winery alone sees well over 100,000 people a year, mostly in the summer, along with the other 19 or 20 wineries on the wine trail.
"In a good weekend in July, we will sell as much as we sell in the whole month of January or February or more," Johnson said.
Johnson said the growth of Airbnb and vacation rental platforms addressed what was once a significant obstacle to tourism in the area.
"15 years ago, there were a few nice bed and breakfasts, but otherwise there was no place to stay," Johnson said. "Now Airbnb and vacation rental by owner provide that, especially in the summer season. So they themselves are a cause of part of the success."
"Has it always been affordable? Yes. Have the grape vineyards always been here? Yes. The wine trail has been here certainly for the last 20 years. Restaurants in downtown Westfield, they've developed a bunch, so it's kind of all come together in terms of a tourist destination over the last 15 years or so, but it isn't an overnight thing," Johnson said.
WATCH: Airbnb lists Westfield as a 'hidden gem' for budget-friendly summer travel
Johnson also pointed to attractions that extend well beyond the summer months.
"Not only are the vineyards and the wineries and downtown restaurants attractive here, but in the fall, we've got some of the best trout fishing in the world," Johnson said. "We've got Chautauqua Institution and Lake Chautauqua just up over the hill, 8 miles away. The best walleye fishing just off the shores here. So there are a lot of attractions, plus just beautiful countryside."
When asked what keeps visitors coming back year after year, Johnson said no single factor deserves the credit.
"It is all the pieces coming together to allow us to be, if you like, the Norman Rockwell place, the all-American small town, you know, memorialized by Norman Rockwell that we all kind of remembered," Johnson said. "It's the wine trail's success, the winery success, the downtown merchants' success, the advent of Airbnbs and vacation rental by owners, all of that. Call it a critical mass coming together."
Archer pointed to the water as the single biggest draw.
"I think Lake Erie, the water, there's a lot of fishing, people just like to canoe or kayak, swim, look for beach glass," Archer said. "The water is so soothing to people, and I think either lake, but Lake Erie is bigger, and it's right off the thruway, so I think really the lake is what brings people in, and then everything else is a bonus."
Riedesel said the pace of life is what resonates most with visitors.
"The slower pace, the vibe of everything, you can relax and take it easy and do what you want," Riedesel said. "And for the most part, it's gonna be very affordable."
The Airbnb report noted that 86% of travelers, and 94% of Gen Z travelers, say they are interested in rural getaways, according to a Focaldata survey cited in the report. Westfield was listed alongside destinations including Bellingham, Wash., Eastport, Maine, and Marfa, Texas, as a hidden gem alternative to more expensive and well-known summer spots
