2019 Bookings up or down on 2018

Up, down, could be better? How to get more bookings is our number one obsession. Talk shop here.

Bookings for 2019 up or down compared to 2018

Poll ended at Wed Jul 17, 2019 7:06 pm

Up more than 30%
2
3%
Up 15-30%
5
7%
Up 1-15%
3
4%
About the same
17
22%
Down 1-15%
23
30%
Down 15-30%
26
34%
 
Total votes: 76

Codliveroil
Posts: 156
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2015 3:10 pm
Location: Algarve
Contact:

2019 Bookings up or down on 2018

Post by Codliveroil »

Lets find out how our bookings are going for 2019 compared to what we had booked at this time in 2018. Days/weeks not $
AndrewH
Posts: 1499
Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2013 1:17 pm
Location: Kefalonia, Greece
Contact:

Post by AndrewH »

After Christmas we normally receive a modest increase in the number of enquiries and bookings as people's thoughts turn from Christmas/New Year to their next summer holiday. It simply hasn't happened for us this January. So far it has been complete silence. We are in Greece and 99% of our guests are from the UK. As we know too well, these are uncertain times in the UK and so it is to be expected.
Gazpacho
Posts: 82
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2013 2:42 pm
Location: Andalucia, Spain

Post by Gazpacho »

The usual post-Christmas surge definitely hasn't materialised yet. We are in Spain. Since we usually get large family groups I think that the current instability means that some family members may be uncertain about booking, so the group decision gets postponed (or they decide to holiday in the UK instead!).

I was hoping that there would be a Brexit deal by now, so that people would have certainty and get on with booking, but sadly not.

Of the bookings we do have, a higher percentage than usual are non-UK. That will probably be the theme for this year.
zebedee
Posts: 1270
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: yorkshire dales

Post by zebedee »

I think the real reason is the absolute deluge of TV adverts by the big players with their January Sale holiday offers.

You can book for about 50p at the moment. It’s probably why Codliveroil’s post about TripAdvisor and their one month “trial” came about.
It will all settle soon I’m sure.

January has not been great for my bookings for a long while, but things pick up steadily throughout the year. It’s a bit like the story of the tortoise and the hare (and I’m the slow one :D ).
IV63
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 4:15 pm
Location: Glenmoriston
Contact:

Post by IV63 »

Same for us here in Scotland, although I think the poll needs an even greater reduction option as I'd say year on year it's closer to 40% down right now

We run 4 units and normally would expect multiple bookings per day from Christmas onwards with about two thirds of overall bookings usually made by the end of March. So far we've only had a handful in January.

I think it went quiet from about October for us. Our Q4 bookings were also way down and the trend appears to be continuing.

I'm sure the brexit background music is not helping european bookings, normally about 50% of our trade, but whether it is also a factor in the domestic reduction we can only speculate.

Locally most other accommodation businesses owners I know tell a similar story.

Fingers crossed it will pick up as the year goes on but at the moment it looks like being a poor year.
Codliveroil
Posts: 156
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2015 3:10 pm
Location: Algarve
Contact:

Post by Codliveroil »

IV63 wrote: although I think the poll needs an even greater reduction option as I'd say year on year it's closer to 40% down right now
Sorry about that, I should have had a "down more than 30% option" I missed that, there's no option to edit a poll. I suspect there may be several "more than 30%" lumped into that bottom option!

The poll shows a worrying trend this year, not only do we have Brexit screwing things up, but we have Trump messing the whole world up, there's talk of recession in Germany, world stocks took a big hit in October, it's clawing its way back slowly but some say that it will crash big time soon. So much negativity fosters uncertainty perhaps it will be last minute bookings this year.

Not sure what to think!

Welcome to the forum IV63 by the way
CarolineJ
Posts: 65
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2017 3:52 pm
Location: North coast of Scotland
Contact:

Post by CarolineJ »

I have 93 nights booked for 2019 so far, compared with about 14 this time last year, BUT last year was our first year and we only started accepting bookings just before Christmas.
Faint heart never won fair holiday let...
rosebud
Posts: 625
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Steyning, West Sussex

Post by rosebud »

One week more than this time last year from early April, but down on Feb / March (just 3 days)

Every chance that I will get some last minute bookings. Finished up with total of 2 weeks booked in Jan .. pleased with that.
stewart-sandeman
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2015 1:35 pm
Location: Scotland - highlands
Contact:

Bookings down in Scotland

Post by stewart-sandeman »

Normally by now I am fully booked for the season (May to September only) this year I still have several vacancies - no foreign bookings this year so far.

One new property getting reasonably booked (16 weeks in total booked so far), but as new for 2019 have nothing to compare it to.

Both houses are fairly specialised - off grid, not accessible by car etc which may help as few similar properties.

Peter
Annew
Posts: 925
Joined: Wed Nov 04, 2009 10:02 am
Location: Devon

Post by Annew »

Pretty rubbish here this year. I hate to mention the B word, but after several years with increase on increase, I would say iit's having an effect here. I've had no enquiries (let alone bookings) from Dutch or Germans for 2 years now!
If you want to find me, Google The Barton Poughill!
ianh100
Posts: 598
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 4:37 pm
Location: Sherborne Dorset

Post by ianh100 »

Hi Annew

You would have expected the UK to look more attractive with the drop in exchange rates. We usually get 2-3 German bookings per year, not had any yet. We have no bookings in the summer to speak of but May and June looking better than previous years so far.

I can't really say I can see a pattern over the few years we have been in this game (since 2011), each season seems to be different.
Our bookings do come from different sources each season. Air Bnb, looking good and Booking.com has delivered some winter bookings. Traditional sites like HA just seem dead.
User avatar
nichthewood
Posts: 173
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:09 pm
Location: Vicq-sur Gartempe, La Vienne
Contact:

Way down

Post by nichthewood »

This time last year we had 11 weeks booked, this year we have 6.
Nothing as yet before the summer holidays. I can’t see anyone wanting to book travel before or straight after the end of March. And as flight cost considerably more closer to the departure date. I think we can write off April and May. Hoping we get an upturn in June and July but I don’t really think that is going to happen.
FelicityA
Posts: 2816
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:54 pm
Location: Cotswolds
Contact:

Post by FelicityA »

This time last year, 23 weeks booked.
This year, 14 weeks but 8 of those to an Australian winter let just ending.

Of the other six weeks, only ONE new booking through ANY website since August. The others are all American and Canadian returners. NOBODY is finding me now! I am on VRBO and TA, amongst others. One German couple who came for 3 weeks last year emailed saying they had planned to come but in view of their anticipation of delays at Calais ( they drive through the tunnel or get the ferry, not sure which) they were going to holiday in Germany instead this year. I pointed out that the head of the port of Calais wasn’t worried and I would believe him over media spin. But it was nice of them to contact me and explain their original intention and why they were not coming.

I thought the North Americans would be flocking to the weak pound.
ianh100
Posts: 598
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 4:37 pm
Location: Sherborne Dorset

Post by ianh100 »

Hi FelicityA
Just looked at your site, the place looks great but I am surprised at your 7 night minimum all year. We stick to that for summer and school holidays but take shorter breaks outside these times.

Summer is still pretty empty for us but we have had a good set of winter bookings of 3-5 night breaks. Most of these bookings have been on Booking.com or AirBnB. They are not platforms that we like but have just had to embrace. The market seems to change significantly from year to year, we used to only need HL or OD but neither bring many bookings. We get quite a bit via Facebook but that takes quite a bit of effort and also seems to bring many time wasters.
Codliveroil
Posts: 156
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2015 3:10 pm
Location: Algarve
Contact:

Post by Codliveroil »

ianh100 wrote: We get quite a bit via Facebook but that takes quite a bit of effort and also seems to bring many time wasters.
I tried facebook, posted offers on several groups, total waste of time, dozens of "Is this still available?" that actually takes longer to type than "I would like to book" I answered everyone with Yes and encouraging blurb, not one booking and no serious inquiries!

I had 14 weeks as at 31 Dec 2018 now only 12 had a 2 week cancellation due to health, no inquiries either. Brexit is the killer, Germany on the brink of recession, Trump derailing the US, yellow vests ruining France and we had a huge stockmarket collapse back in October, it has clawed back somewhat but is still down, many retired folks will be out of pocket because of that.
Post Reply