Great news: Travelers are getting ready to hit the road — and over the summer months, our marketplace saw considerably more booking requests within weeks of the stay. Here’s what else they said would be top of mind when lockdown lifts and they’re looking to book.
Travel trends reveal how vacation rental owners can attract more travelers
Travelers are booking last-minute trips
As many as 31% of travelers said they expect to book trips closer to their travel dates than they typically have before. If you use your dashboard on our platform to manage your listing, make sure you’re ready to accept traveler bookings by:
Flexible cancellation policies are key
When asked what is most important to travelers interested in booking, travelers saw cancellation/refund policies as highest in scaled importance.
In fact, 77% of travelers surveyed said they'll be more likely to choose accommodations with flexible cancellation policies — and during our user testing session most participants used the “free cancellation” filter when searching for a vacation rental.
Consider adopting a moderate or relaxed cancellation policy as part of your Covid-19 recovery efforts if you don’t have one already.
Cleaning and safety measures are vital
As a result of COVID-19, 51% of travelers say they'll pay more attention to the cleanliness standards of vacation rentals prior to booking.
Here are the top three cleanliness details travelers care about:
- When the property was last cleaned
- Details from the owner about the cleaning practices of the property
- Checklist of surfaces and items that were disinfected and/or professionally cleaned
To help put travelers at ease, upgrade your standard cleaning practices using these cleaning guidelines . Also be sure to mention your enhanced cleaning practices in your listing details and communications to guests (but don’t ever use phrases like “COVID-free”).
Travelers know the amenities they want
Travelers indicated they’re especially looking for the following amenities and property details , so be sure to include them on your listing:
- All travelers see WiFi as important. Guests need it for working remotely, making video calls to family and friends, entertaining the kids, and even squeezing in online workouts. It’s a good idea to highlight it in your listing description, amenity details, and any communications you have with travelers looking to book.
- Travel advisories about the area are important to travelers booking a stay.
- Proximity to grocery stores and restaurants is rated as more important than the availability of grocery and food delivery — so if your property is near grocery stores and restaurants, be sure to highlight it in your listing description.
- The majority of travelers see clear check-in and checkout processes as important. Consider offering contactless check-in and using smart lock technology to streamline your process. Use our welcome guide feature to include detailed check-in and checkout instructions.
