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

User avatar
apexblue
Posts: 2249
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2008 6:58 pm
Location: UK

Post by apexblue »

Are guests stalling bookIng?

Majority of ours last minute.
It is better to remain quiet and have one think you are stupid, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt....

The biggest mistake we make in life is thinking we have time.
ianh100
Posts: 598
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 4:37 pm
Location: Sherborne Dorset

Post by ianh100 »

I think people may be stalling due to Brexit. Easter and the next few weeks are good but until yesterday we had zero bookings for the summer.
Joanna
Posts: 1091
Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:12 pm
Location: Chester, North West England & Sidmouth, East Devon
Contact:

Post by Joanna »

We usually take a lot of bookings in March for the spring/summer - this year hardly any. Also, more last minute enquiries who I suspect are wanting big discounts since they don't go on to book - our last minute rate is at the most 20% off which I guess isn't enough.
Jo

Joint owner of Baker's Cottage in Chester & Chandler's Cottage in Sidmouth
zebedee
Posts: 1270
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: yorkshire dales

Post by zebedee »

rosebud wrote
2 thirds of my bookings in the past 12 months have been for periods shorter than a week.
This is a marked change from past experience - 2 years ago 39% were for under a week.
I have lowered short term rates in the winter .. partly to offer similar prices to others on AirBnb
My minimum stay is generally 3 nights.
Hi Rosebud, how do you manage your prices for all your short breaks?
I find people often expect a pro rata weekly rate divided by 7 and although I try and use the usual percentage rates (70 or 75% for 3 nights) I am often given the impression that people are insulted.

For some years now the market wouldn’t usually give me anyone booking the remaining mid week days even if I lower the price a lot.
I have a Saturday changeover, and even people we know will sometimes say they would like to book a weekend.....in the high season....which would kill off two weeks valuable income if I said yes.
Codliveroil
Posts: 156
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2015 3:10 pm
Location: Algarve
Contact:

Post by Codliveroil »

Well the end of the month came and so did 12 April, has it improved? Well not for me that's for sure. Since January I have had only 2 more weeks booked and inquiries are virtually non existent.
e-richard
Posts: 5008
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 11:33 am
Location: Algarve, Portugal
Contact:

Post by e-richard »

Codliveroil wrote:Well the end of the month came and so did 12 April, has it improved? Well not for me that's for sure. Since January I have had only 2 more weeks booked and inquiries are virtually non existent.
Ditto :cry:
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
User avatar
Mouse
Posts: 7277
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 6:47 pm
Location: Balearics
Contact:

Post by Mouse »

We're in an unusual situation as we are trying to sell the villa so I only firmed up bookings at the end of Jan (we thought we had a buyer who wanted to exchange in June but it wasn't to be).

I was so lucky that of the 8 enquiries (yes, only 8 received for this summer!) I had 2 who wanted to wait and see if we were letting out this summer, thankfully one was a fortnight's booking and the other 3 weeks (both direct bookings). We then had 2 one week bookings from repeat clients and finally 4 bookings from Tots to Travel, one of which was a 2 weeker.

I'm not with air bnb or bookingcom however the others such as TA, homeaway etc are not producing any enquiries at all.

It is confusing as Ibiza is supposedly such a strong rental market AND in theory there should be less properties available as unless you have the expensive, and very hard to get licence, it is illegal to rent out.

I'm very grateful for our 3 and 2 weekers.

Mousie
x
ianh100
Posts: 598
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 4:37 pm
Location: Sherborne Dorset

Post by ianh100 »

Spring has been good for us so far but mostly last minute bookings on AirBnB and booking.com. I think quite a number of groups of electricians and the like which have boosted our takings. We only have 3 weeks across 2 properties booked over the summer holidays. traditional OTA sites are doing nothing, HA used to give 3-400 hits a month at this time of year, I just checked and we got 30 hits.
User avatar
NeatandPicky
Posts: 377
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2007 12:58 pm
Location: Pissouri Bay, Cyprus
Contact:

Post by NeatandPicky »

After a disappointing Jan/Feb/Mar for enquiries we have recently taken a flurry of bookings making the calendar look more respectable, though not full yet. Brexit??

We only take direct bookings through our website. It's the blog posts that help people to find us.
Codliveroil
Posts: 156
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2015 3:10 pm
Location: Algarve
Contact:

Plan B!

Post by Codliveroil »

I was hoping that people were hanging on to see the Brexit outcome and then book. Obviously not, they must have chosen to book local or not go anywhere.

Like others I have had zero success with the OTA's this year, even with 18 listings, 2 websites, a blog, 50 or so classified listings and over 5000 links out there and it still stinks.

I have reasonable success in the past with sending out a mass mail with an "offer" to all in my address book, it has usually resulted in a booking or two.

So I am going to do it again, but this time I have a better plan.

I will not just advertise my property but others too, say 5 or maybe 7 on one mailing. Each property to have one "best" Photo a title and a short description of what special offer they are offering and a link to your website url or contact form or whatever.

I would only send say 1 mailing per month and rotate top spot, and have an option for recipients to unsubscribe.

This would not cost anything just some effort and meeting a few criteria in expanding the mailing list.

Not sure what the mail "header" would be yet, open to suggestions. I would send this out as soon as I have it all together, this coming week if possible.

Anyway if you are interested PM me your email address and we can communicate better our ideas to get this thing going.
User avatar
CSE
Posts: 4414
Joined: Mon Nov 06, 2006 3:34 pm
Location: Galicia

Post by CSE »

email old contact email addies with adverts. Remind us how that fits in with GDPR?
I am most sure that others will want to follow your footsteps but they might end up breaking the law.
Never try to out-stubborn your guests.
Codliveroil
Posts: 156
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2015 3:10 pm
Location: Algarve
Contact:

Post by Codliveroil »

CSE wrote:email old contact email addies with adverts. Remind us how that fits in with GDPR?
Good question.

This mailing will only use email addresses, no other personal data so it will be perfectly legal and comply with GDPR if done correctly......and it will be. Here is an article, just one of many available, that can explain it better than I can.

https://medium.com/swlh/5-simple-steps- ... fc023ccd37
User avatar
greenbarn
Posts: 6146
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 6:41 pm
Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Post by greenbarn »

That article is about b2b. Sending unsolicited emails to a business is a very different situation to sending unsolicited emails to private individuals, which is not allowed.
User avatar
CSE
Posts: 4414
Joined: Mon Nov 06, 2006 3:34 pm
Location: Galicia

Post by CSE »

Mmm interesting.
In that article you link too there is another link to this information.
https://blog.woodpecker.co/cold-email/g ... egulation/
The one you link to IMHO is standing on dodgy ground.
The one i linked to explains better how GDPR is supposed to work. Note IANAL, but even they seem to stray into fantasy land when it comes to who and how you send marketing emails.
Never try to out-stubborn your guests.
AndrewH
Posts: 1499
Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2013 1:17 pm
Location: Kefalonia, Greece
Contact:

Post by AndrewH »

I agree with Greenbarn, that GDPR appears to apply differently when the emails are "business to business" as opposed to "business to private individuals". For the latter, I believe the GDPR rules are stricter with regard to obtaining the recipient's consent.

GDPR is a product of the European Union intended to protect EU citizens. So it seems to me that emails transmitted to anyone anywhere from a non-EU country are not affected by GDPR. They are simply not subject to those regulations.

I receive far too many unsolicited emails, mostly telling me how badly my website is doing and the miracle they can work to improve it. I don't like spam, but I know that there is no one to complain to, because the emails are sent from countries which do not have a "GDPR" equivalent of their own. I know I am a business and not a private individual, but even then the emails are contrary to GDPR, because I have never had any previous contact with the senders.
Post Reply