Lay My Hat

Hi

A very strange January for booking and enquiries. I picked up 3 bookings for the early part of year but summer seems slow.Is anyone else in Italy having more success?

Thanks for reading.

Like you I took 3 bookings early in the New Year but now silence.

Checking out OD I see my page views are seriously down on last year (which was my first BAD year) so I'm not too hopeful.

Was going to list on booking.com but I can't sustain the 18% commission they want, so all in all I'm pessimistic.

The situation in Libya is not good either which will undoubtably have a negative effect on tourism down our way.

[quote="pambon"]Like you I took 3 bookings early in the New Year but now silence.

Checking out OD I see my page views are seriously down on last year (which was my first BAD year) so I'm not too hopeful.

quote]

Yes - I just check OD, which used to be the only site I needed. The info is 214 viewings and 3 enquiries including 1 spam! I have checked the site is working correctly. I think also there are less Italian properties listing with OD. I list with Booking.com but as you say comm is high at 18%, so far they only produced a booking in Jan which I declined - heavy snow meant I could not guarantee access or exit for guests from the hills.

Fingers crossed this does not become a replay of 2014!

Since I wrote my last comment I have just received a confirmation for ten nights

Can't believe it

pambon wrote:Since I wrote my last comment I have just received a confirmation for ten nights

Can't believe it

Ok - I will email you every couple of days LOL! Then your calendar will soon fill up!

Hi All

How are your bookings going? As we approach the main summer period we have 1 week in August and 2 weeks in Sept that we would love to fill. June has been very quiet so far - so not sure what to make of it.

With Expo2015 in Milan, I wondered if most of the holiday biz would be around The Lakes and Milan. Not sure our guests would plan their holidays based on Expo.

Thks all.

verry slow here in abruzzo but i see the light at the end of the tunnel

Hi

We had some good news recently that Emirates will now have flights from our local airport - Bologna International. I am hopeful of the odd Aussie and NZ guest. I now have 2 weeks left to fill 1 in Aug and the other early Sept.

Guests are also booking a lot later - years ago I recall being fully booked for the main season by late April. Now it's def later and of course the number of spam emails don't help either ;-(

The weather is fab and the pool looks great - so I hope we all have a great summer season.

Slow here too and not just for me but for everyone.

pambon wrote:Slow here too and not just for me but for everyone.

Hi Pambon

It's very strange. I thought the world cup year was a blip but it seems Italy has become more challenging for tourism.

It's certainly not a cheap country for tourists and local folks seem to be staying nearer to home or frequenting their own 2nd homes. Many neighbours have access to 2or 3 holiday homes so rarely pay for accommodation. If they are travelling further afield in Italy without accommodation they will network with family and friends to find someone that is happy to let them have the spare room etc.,

My bookings this year are 30% up on last year but no way near back to normal. I am hoping the AC and solar pool will help to fill more of the shoulder periods.

Last time we communication on LMH you picked up a booking - so let's see if it works again

Ianthy, the problem down my way is that in the last several years B&b's and rental appartments are springing up daily so there is less to go round for us all and much competition.

My immediate neighbour has been in the business for about 25 years and has five apartments around a lovely pool with great views and his bookings are right down. Next door to him is another guy with a long standing business with 5 apartments no pool but beautiful gardens and he is saying the same.

Things are changing and I was almost decided to close business at the end of this season but I may just try for one more year with some specialised help to see if things improve, otherwise I will call it a day.

Hi everyone ... I'd also support what Pambon is saying there are a lot of b&b's cropping up here in Sicily & this seems destined to continue as there is a fondo that the local commercialista is helping a lot of people get into to start in the B&B business. Whether these people will really stay in the business or whether it's a ruse to grab & run... Let's see. You know yourself...

Our bookings here are still ridiculously quiet apart from FK Italians looking for August which is now sold. I have open updated. calendars & I've weeks to sell in Sept.

As I've mentioned on another thread OD gave me 90% of our business since 2011 & now our page views and enquiries are down 75%. OD management (including CE officer) are not responding to calls & emails.

We are now in the process of de coupling (if that's the right expression) from OD HA & signing up to as many sites as possible. We will start a FB page & start throwing the net wider.

We listed with booking.com & HL yesterday.... Is any other site working for those of us in Italy particularly?

All the best

Sea turtle

seaturtle wrote:As I've mentioned on another thread OD gave me 90% of our business since 2011 & now our page views and enquiries are down 75%. OD management (including CE officer) are not responding to calls & emails.

We are now in the process of de coupling (if that's the right expression) from OD HA & signing up to as many sites as possible. We will start a FB page & start throwing the net wider.

We listed with booking.com & HL yesterday.... Is any other site working for those of us in Italy particularly?

Yes I know what you mean in the good old days OD provided 90% of my bookings, now it's maybe 50%. It would be a good exercise to start a thread in our Italy section to try and identify the best sites for listing Italian property. I add a few new sites last year and they have produced zip!

Let me know if there is anything interest.

Rgds