no to the contary - we have had the most amazing year - (even had a veteran stay with us in our home as a guest of the village - they put him with us the English! - it's been a truly moving time here & business for the whole area has been fantastic), but this time last year I was fully booked for the following year - so far I have filled I think 5/6 weeks for next summer...I'm quite convinced that the summer will go - but what I'm noticing is off peak periods are dead plus enquiries are very few and far between - when I get an enquiry I do usually convert 95% of them to a booking.
It's not complete doom and gloom - just a different pattern and I'm keen to know if others are experiencing the same and what observations they have...also should I be looking at another market....is the housing market in the UK going to stall and have an adverse effect on us all as everyone will feel brasic again!???
Let me know you thoughts.
Which listing sites are most effective?
Sorry, I misunderstood, I thought you were struggling this year to get the bookings.
I found the pattern you mentioned to be true for this year - wondering where the next booking was going to come from. But for next year my bookings are really good - the opposite to your experience. I'm also in France but in the south.
So who knows, I suppose there are local cycles and patterns that we are not able to predict.
By the way I think your pictures are top quality.
I found the pattern you mentioned to be true for this year - wondering where the next booking was going to come from. But for next year my bookings are really good - the opposite to your experience. I'm also in France but in the south.
So who knows, I suppose there are local cycles and patterns that we are not able to predict.
By the way I think your pictures are top quality.
Paolo
Lay My Hat
Lay My Hat
Past 3 months have seen the largest change in Google rankings ever. Many of the larger sites such as vrbo and cyberrentals seem to have suffered in their search engine positions.
I've had really good success and get quite good advice from a smaller site called [edited by admin in line with forum rules] on vacation rental marketin from them. They have fewer listings yet seem to show up high on search engines...pretty consistently.
I've had really good success and get quite good advice from a smaller site called [edited by admin in line with forum rules] on vacation rental marketin from them. They have fewer listings yet seem to show up high on search engines...pretty consistently.
that's interesting as I posted our 2 properties with vrbo - 8 photos on each ad... just over a month ago and not one enquiry so far. Holiday-rentals have generated a few confirmed bookings for next summer - but the enquiries are still just a trickle and nothing as yet for Christmas - you may have seen my observation on another thread - out of 2039 houses advertised in France 1349 have availabilty for Christmas...either the bookings are going to be very late this year or it's the first year of no Christmas bookings for us! 
It's interesting to read postings regarding "booking trends" though I still cannot actually pin-point a trend or pattern, apart from bookings for dates that fall within school holiday periods.
One factor which has effected me in a positive sense has been the prolonged summer, till now in Malta. I have had late bookings made over the phone, just a week or so prior to arrival. When asked, my guests state that they were looking for a warm, sunny destination, not more than a few hours flying time away.
On the other hand, I am getting bookings for September & October 2005, so who can really predict things in this line of business? I could understand having July & August 2005 booked a year in advance as that is what happens normally, though September and October came as a surprise!
One factor which has effected me in a positive sense has been the prolonged summer, till now in Malta. I have had late bookings made over the phone, just a week or so prior to arrival. When asked, my guests state that they were looking for a warm, sunny destination, not more than a few hours flying time away.
On the other hand, I am getting bookings for September & October 2005, so who can really predict things in this line of business? I could understand having July & August 2005 booked a year in advance as that is what happens normally, though September and October came as a surprise!
Malta – always in the sunshine!
there is no pattern I agree...I've sold what has up to now always been the hardest week to sell...very last week of August - always has been taken last and with the attitude well if that is all you have left! This year both houses that last week was the first to be sold.....so all of July is free at the moment but we're fully booked 27th August - 3rd September!
We too are getting enquiries in for later on in September - with children as well?
We too are getting enquiries in for later on in September - with children as well?