As a holiday home owner, is your booking calendar full during the peak months, and yet you struggle to attract guests during the off season?
Just because it is off season doesn’t mean that your holiday home should be receiving fewer bookings. Many people like to travel during the off season, because it offers cheaper flight tickets, means less crowd, and better deals.
If you want to attract more visitors to your holiday home in the off season, here are some tips for getting bookings during the quieter months:
Highlight the beauty of the off-season: Peak season is not the only time when the scenery is gorgeous around your holiday home! So change the images of your holiday home advertisement. For instance if autumn is the off-season period of your holiday home property, take some beautiful photos of the leaves which have turned red and orange in the autumn, or a photo of a local festival which takes place during this season. If winter is the off-season period, there might be snow on the mountains during the winter, which would make for a beautiful photograph on your holiday rental listing page. You can also highlight seasonal activities and attractions in the area around your holiday home that your guests might enjoy, such as local events, festivals or day trip destinations.
Offer a cheaper rate/ discounts: Most holiday home owners will have a different rate for their accommodation depending on what time of year it is. If you can offer a cheaper rate or a special deal during the slowest months of the year, you will be able to attract travelers on a budget who are looking for a great deal.
Target a different demographic: Peak rental times for any holiday home are usually during the summer holidays and school breaks, but there are a group of people who are not constrained by school calenda or office hours, such as retirees and people with young children who are yet to go to a school. Think about how you can target these types of visitors by making your holiday home more child-friendly and suitable for the elderly, and then change the description of your online advertisement so that it appeals to this group.
Allow shorter minimum stays: While this would mean more of changeover maintenance, but it’s worth the trouble. You will easily get guests requiring a minimum stay of one week during the peak season, but during the off season you have to consider being more flexible on your minimum stay. You might just be able to attract visitors who are looking for a shorter stay, and could charge them by the night instead.
Allow longer stays: If your holiday home is often empty during the off-season months, consider charging a monthly rate equivalent to the rates of one or two peak season week(s). This would mean your property won’t be sitting empty.
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