When lockdown rules are finally relaxed, people will be thinking about what they can do in order to have some form of holiday this summer.
Flights will eventually get up and flying, but how many people will have in the back of their minds a hint of trepidation?
Getting on a plane with hundreds of strangers whose medical health you have no knowledge of and who they have interacted with before the return flight, may be a risk that a lot of people (especially elderly and those that are vulnerable) are not willing to take for a while.
The UK has one of the strongest domestic travel markets, with Tourism Alliance explaining that in 2018 domestic tourism contributed £24 billion to the UK economy.
This island that a lot of us call home, is full of amazing locations: from Durdle Door on the Jurassic coast to Edinburgh castle. From Snowdonia to the cliffs of Moher, there are a lot of beautiful destinations in this country that a lot of people have never taken advantage of.
The pandemic may provide the perfect time for people to explore their home country more, and this is something that we can all capitalise on, domestic holidays.
Airbnb vs. Hotel
Although the pandemic took a big toll on sharing platforms, such as Airbnb, there are encouraging signs that an increase in rentals is steadily coming back, take for example in New Zealand, where domestic tourism is starting to bounce back.
As Investopedia explains, Airbnb is used for more homely, less expensive short stays as opposed to hotels. The joy of short term rentals is that they offer versatility (Ecomparemo).
Short-term rentals
The draw that short term rentals will have, is that they can be extensively cleaned and don’t house large groups of people that have come from a host of different countries.
As a property management company, offering hosts solutions and guidelines about how to clean their properties effectively to minimise exposure to the virus, will certainly give guests the confidence to book.
Offering some form of certification or verification on-site will also help boost confidence.
Market To Local’s
With international travel posing a lot of questions in the back of people’s minds as mentioned at the start of this post, you might have to start focusing on domestic guests rather than international.
Here’s a list of what to consider:
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Pricing
Most domestic stays are booked last minute, due to the lack of travel i.e. flying. Because they’re booking last minute, their stays will be shorter, so they are looking for prices that accommodate for these shorter stays.
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Consider the minimum stay
This relates to the point above. As guests start to look for shorter stays, start thinking about reducing your minimum stay if you have one in place, to accommodate this new style of travel.
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Welcome families and pets
Due to isolation, a family might want to change up their lockdown scenery. A staycation road trip is the perfect way for them to do that. Make sure that you advertise that your properties are family and pet friendly to maximise bookings.
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Highlight secret locations
Know about a less trodden walk that leads to an amazing swimming spot? Make sure you highlight to guests hidden attractions in the local area. This will help them when it comes to making a decision about where to stay. The decline in city visits due to large gatherings of people being avoided, will be a massive draw to the countryside for staycations.
How to cater for a staycation
Remember: people are looking for a change of scenery after being stuck at home. In order to provide guests with the best experience possible from their staycation, it is therefore crucial to make sure that your listing is welcoming and kitted out.
Make sure that you have all of the essentials stocked.
You can find out more about what you should have in our post Top tips for hosting guests in a life post isolation.
Make sure that you provide as much local knowledge as you can. This includes which places do takeaway, secluded country walks.
Basically, everything that is off the beaten path will help guests have a relaxing stay and minimise the risk of coming into contact with many people.
Stay informed
If you are opening the doors of your rental to guests after travel restrictions domestically are lightened, then you must stay up-to-date with advice from reliable sources and make business decisions accordingly.
