By Need to See IT News Team 
- Gwynedd generates the highest holiday rental revenue in Wales at £6.78 million, followed by Cardiff at £4.85 million.
- Pembrokeshire, Conwy, and Powys complete the top five areas, each exceeding £3 million in estimated rental income.
- Blaenau Gwent recorded the lowest revenue at just £138,930, despite charging an average of £97.15 per night.
A new study reveals that Gwynedd leads Wales in holiday rental revenue, raking in an estimated £6.78 million in just four months.
The study, conducted by casino comparison site La Planque Du Joueur, analysed Office for National Statistics (ONS) housing data and Airbnb data for the last four months of 2024 across Wales, to identify which areas are capitalising most on the visitor economy. Key factors included guest nights (the total nights stayed per person, e.g. four guests staying two nights equals eight guest nights), nights sold (the number of nights properties were booked), and stays (the number of separate bookings). Researchers also calculated the total estimated earnings by multiplying the number of nights sold as short-term lets with the median cost for a night on Airbnb to determine the ranking.
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Top 10 Welsh areas by holiday rental revenue |
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| Rank | Area | Number of guest nights |
Number of nights |
Number of stays |
Median price per night |
Estimated total revenue |
| 1 | Gwynedd | 186,340 | 56,360 | 19,270 | £120.31 | £6,780,605 |
| 2 | Cardiff | 142,870 | 52,010 | 18,810 | £93.33 | £4,854,267 |
| 3 | Pembrokeshire | 124,550 | 40,210 | 12,280 | £101.41 | £4,077,767 |
| 4 | Conwy | 96,630 | 29,850 | 10,160 | £108.50 | £3,238,725 |
| 5 | Powys | 102,410 | 33,460 | 12,860 | £94.99 | £3,178,222 |
| 6 | Swansea | 76,580 | 27,860 | 8,490 | £91.80 | £2,557,669 |
| 7 | Isle of Anglesey | 71,950 | 20,510 | 6,570 | £105.56 | £2,165,128 |
| 8 | Ceredigion | 60,460 | 19,890 | 6,750 | £101.27 | £2,014,173 |
| 9 | Carmarthenshire | 53,610 | 17,420 | 5,460 | £91.31 | £1,590,558 |
| 10 | Denbighshire | 39,030 | 12,070 | 4,350 | £103.70 | £1,251,616 |
Gwynedd ranked first in Wales with £6,780,605 in revenue, from 56,360 nights booked across 19,270 stays. This equates to an average of 2.9 nights per booking, with guests paying a median price of £120.31 per night, the highest in the ranking. With the median hourly pay at £14.74, residents would need to work a full day (8.2 hours) to afford a night in their own area, the highest number of hours required across the list.
Cardiff came second with £4,854,267 in revenue, based on 52,010 nights booked across 18,810 stays. The Welsh capital recorded a lower median nightly rate of £93.33 compared to Gwynedd but saw similar booking volumes.
Pembrokeshire secured third place with £4,077,767, while Conwy (£3,238,725) and Powys (£3,178,222) round out the top five.
Other strong performers included Swansea (£2.56m), the Isle of Anglesey (£2.16m), and Ceredigion (£2.01m), reflecting the popularity of coastal and rural tourism destinations across Wales.
Jean Morlec of La Planque Du Joueur commented on the findings,
“This data presents a fascinating picture of Wales’ holiday rental market. The revenue differences between areas are striking, with coastal areas dominating the top spots.
“What’s particularly interesting is how the affordability varies for local residents. In some areas, people would need to work more than a full day to afford just one night in their own town, which raises questions about the impact of tourism on local housing markets.”
Image: Deposit Photos