It’s been a while now since the enormously impactful travel restrictions were put in place, which means vacation rental businesses have been doing it tough. But on the other hand, it appears that we are also much closer to domestic travel becoming a reality once again. From the public reaction to the lockdown measures, we can assume that there will be high demand for accommodation and travel across the country, but not without a pinch of wariness when it comes to hygiene and sanitary awareness. Here are 5 tips on what you can do to get your Holiday Home ready for the rise of the staycation.
Start promoting now
The itch to travel is only becoming stronger, so use this to your advantage and feature the highlights of your accommodation to your audience through email newsletters and social media. The staycation or ‘holistay’ (holidaying in your own country rather than abroad) is likely to be the new ‘norm’ for a while. So remind people of all the things that make your home and area such a great place to explore. Maybe your area is unique, or the view from your property is unlike any other, or the décor is something to be remembered. Whatever it may be, use this time to get some high-quality images, and reach as many people as possible.
Stay at the forefront of your target audience’s mind. Experiment with running a social media competition where engagement categories are used as entries. Like, follow, share etc. can work wonders for brand awareness, and might even play a hand in guests choosing your property over your neighbour.
Keep up the hygiene measures
The virus is something that isn’t going to be wiped from memory, even post COVID-19. So, to prevent any germ spread and for consumer peace of mind, keep up some of the hygiene measures your property would have put in place during the outbreak. People are going to be wary moving forward, so put some minds at ease and inform guests where possible that your property is upholding enhanced sanitary procedures.
Target beyond your usual guests
After experiencing such a negative impact on bookings and cancellations, it might be worth thinking about expanding beyond your current target audience. Try looking at your property from a different perspective and offer unique opportunities that would attract a new demographic. If you’re stuck on how to do so, run a campaign or offer that is targeted solely to couples or groups, millennials and beyond. Many people in these segments may not have considered the benefits of the staycation before. So take the opportunity to sell the benefits of our beautiful country and your local area to potential new audiences.
Allow flexibility on your minimum stay policy
It will not be the time to turn guests away because of a strict 5-night minimum stay policy. Domestic travellers may only be able to get away for 1, 2 or 3 nights, so try to be accommodating where you can.
Update and optimize your website
Using elements of SEO to help optimize your website can help with your search visibility. Content creation such as blogs might be something foreign to you, however, outsourcing one blog per month based around certain keyword elements can have a dramatic effect. Organically capturing key phrases such as “vacation rental on the Gold Coast” or “things to do on the Gold Coast” might just bump you up a little higher on the Google search list. Try creating a schedule of timeless blog content to live on your website that will always be relevant to your region, basing them around strong keywords and phrases.
As we emerge from post-lockdown fatigue and restrictions are gradually lifted, many people will be itching to escape the confines of their own homes and enjoy a weekend away. Make sure you are ready to take advantage of the rise of the staycation and start planning the ‘comeback’ now.
And make sure you keep an eye on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages for regular tips and advice on opportunities in the travel sector.
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