Purposeful Travel Starts at Your Vacation Property
The direction traveler behavior is trending gives you a lot to look forward to as a vacation rental host in 2022. PhocusWire cited an American Express Travel: Global Travel Trends report that included feedback from 3,000 travelers across the world and can be useful for you:
● 79 percent of participants said traveling with their family is what they are most excited for in 2022.
● 79 percent are prioritizing purposeful travel, meaning they want to be “more thoughtful” about planning and booking trips.
● 81 percent want to travel to places where they can embrace the locality of their destination.
You can fulfill these by getting the most out of your vacation rental’s space and enhancing the guest experience.
Family Time
More people traveling with their families is great news for you because families already account for most vacation rental guests. Over half of the hosts Modern Innkeeper surveyed in February 2020 said their guests traveled with children, and, also in February 2020, close to 60 percent of guests in a survey said they traveled with children under 18 years old.
To continue securing bookings from families traveling together, maintain the following aspects of your vacation rental.
Backyard
Having a vacation property with a backyard sets you apart from other lodging options because guests have more space than they would elsewhere. Especially with the warmer months coming up, it’s important your backyard attracts travelers with extra perks like:
● A pizza oven
● A hammock
If you allow it, a backyard enables guests to host gatherings with other friends or family members not staying at your rental, something that will help them create memories there.
Photo by Ron Lach
Kitchen
Feeding a family on vacation becomes a little easier when there’s a kitchen available. Keep yours stocked with the essentials so your property is family-ready. Include this in your rental’s description online, and remember to let the parents know where they can find the wine openers.
Living Room
A living room in a vacation rental can become something more than just a living room. Give your guests a warm welcome by turning it into a lobby, and if possible, see what you can do about making it a cozy place for them to gather round and watch their favorite movie together.
Bathrooms
Not having to share one bathroom can help keep the peace during a family vacation. If your property has more than one, make this clear in your description and include pictures. Assure travelers they won’t have to bring a lot of bathroom supplies by keeping yours stocked with fresh amenities.
Helping Guests be Purposeful and Have a Local Experience
Much of what purposeful travel includes is what guests experience before arriving at your vacation rental, which is on you to make special. Rather than just confirming the dates and acknowledging the reservation, you can increase their excitement by:
● Expressing how appreciative you are for them choosing your property
● Asking what they’re looking to get out of their trip so you can make suggestions accordingly
● Sending them updates on your rental’s area leading up to the trip
The last point is an effective way to ensure your guests experience your vacation rental’s locality. Over 80 percent of travelers this year want to dive into their destination’s local culture and the money they spend to go to the local economy, so make sure they feel like they’re part of the community!
(Local businesses will thank you.)
To provide them with the most hands-on experience, recommend a local tour guide who can show them around and maybe include activities they can do in their welcome letter.
Photo by Yulianto Poitier
Make 2022 a Special Year
Traveler behavior continues to align more closely with what your vacation rental can provide. Make your property the most desirable destination and tailor its guest experience for traveling families, and, just maybe, 2022 can be your rental’s best year yet!