hi,
We've had a good start to our first year of renting out a property in the Dordogne - even though we only started advertising in late May, we managed to fill all but 1 week
It's got me thinking about 2016. When do the enquiries and bookings start coming in? how much would you expect / hope to let by say, the end of 2015?
any advice really appreciated:
Do you offer discounts for early booking?
Do you put on an advetising blitz at any point?
do you mail previous renters?
is there a secret to getting early bookings?
thanks!
early bookings for 2016 - and how to get them
-
PW in Polemi
- Posts: 1781
- Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:23 am
- Location: A village in Paphos, Cyprus
Hi Lars
Glad you've had such a good start for your first year.
To answer some of your queries:
Some people offer a discount to returnees.
Some people open bookings for the next year to returnees only for a specific period, so the returnees can have their choice of dates.
Some people offer a discount for booking early.
Some people advertise (usually on listing sites) special offers for a limited period, and perhaps only those weeks that experience in their particular market has taught them are difficult to sell.
As for when bookings come in - well, that seems to change every year! For instance, our season is approx 20-21 weeks max and we were fully booked for 2014 by end Feb 2014 (and we only started in the holiday accommodation business in 2012, so only 3 were returnees). For 2015, we still have a little availability, but 2016 is beginning to sell now.
Where you are physically located and what your market is, are very much the defining criteria for when you will get bookings. For example, if you aim for families, then the school holiday periods will presumably be booked quite early. If you aim for couples, then they can most likely travel at much shorter notice than a family or large group of friends. If, like us, your guests have to organise flights, then bookings can come anything from 12 months in advance to 2 or 3 weeks in advance!
Glad you've had such a good start for your first year.
To answer some of your queries:
Some people offer a discount to returnees.
Some people open bookings for the next year to returnees only for a specific period, so the returnees can have their choice of dates.
Some people offer a discount for booking early.
Some people advertise (usually on listing sites) special offers for a limited period, and perhaps only those weeks that experience in their particular market has taught them are difficult to sell.
As for when bookings come in - well, that seems to change every year! For instance, our season is approx 20-21 weeks max and we were fully booked for 2014 by end Feb 2014 (and we only started in the holiday accommodation business in 2012, so only 3 were returnees). For 2015, we still have a little availability, but 2016 is beginning to sell now.
Where you are physically located and what your market is, are very much the defining criteria for when you will get bookings. For example, if you aim for families, then the school holiday periods will presumably be booked quite early. If you aim for couples, then they can most likely travel at much shorter notice than a family or large group of friends. If, like us, your guests have to organise flights, then bookings can come anything from 12 months in advance to 2 or 3 weeks in advance!
Dogs have masters. Cats have slaves!
very difficult question to answer Lars.
As PW says, it depends very much on your guests' demographic and varies year on year too.
2015 and 2016 - UK guests have been booking up to 12 months in advance. That's never happened to me before - I put it down to the improved exchange rate making my prices so much more economical for UK guests. Also some airlines releasing their seats much earlier.
I practically filled my summer with UK guests this year - usually I'm fully booked with Europeans in the high season. Many of my EU repeats didn't get a look-in this year as the weeks they wanted were long gone by the time they enquired.
I've had several enquiries, 3 bookings and one "pending" for 2016.
I don't do special offers or extra advertising.
As PW says, it depends very much on your guests' demographic and varies year on year too.
2015 and 2016 - UK guests have been booking up to 12 months in advance. That's never happened to me before - I put it down to the improved exchange rate making my prices so much more economical for UK guests. Also some airlines releasing their seats much earlier.
I practically filled my summer with UK guests this year - usually I'm fully booked with Europeans in the high season. Many of my EU repeats didn't get a look-in this year as the weeks they wanted were long gone by the time they enquired.
I've had several enquiries, 3 bookings and one "pending" for 2016.
I don't do special offers or extra advertising.
-
jenboyle1959
- Posts: 224
- Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2012 5:30 pm
- Location: millport
- Contact:
It's difficult to generalize. A couple of years ago, I did a " book by the end of January for a low deposit" ( I think it was fifty pounds. ). I got quite a few bookings, but then several of them cancelled, obviously thinking that fifty quid wasn't much to lose. It was quite stressful to have to try and fill the gaps , so I won't be repeating that this year.
I tend to get the school holidays looking pretty full up by mid February, then the "special weekends" ,( such as Easter, Country and Western Festival, etc etc) then May and June bookings trickle in after that...
I tend to get the school holidays looking pretty full up by mid February, then the "special weekends" ,( such as Easter, Country and Western Festival, etc etc) then May and June bookings trickle in after that...
-
kevsboredagain
- Posts: 3207
- Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:32 am
- Location: France
- Contact:
Hi Lars
I have contacted previous guests - but because I have put my prices up so wanted to offer them a discount.
Each year my bookings have started a bit earlier - at the moment I have 3 bookings for next year.
One in August is for someone from Australia, one - in May - wanted a particular week to coincide with a local event & the other is a repeat visitor in January.
This time last year I had no bookings for 2015.
I have contacted previous guests - but because I have put my prices up so wanted to offer them a discount.
Each year my bookings have started a bit earlier - at the moment I have 3 bookings for next year.
One in August is for someone from Australia, one - in May - wanted a particular week to coincide with a local event & the other is a repeat visitor in January.
This time last year I had no bookings for 2015.
I describe my forward booking profile as a rollercoaster. Once you are on it you cannot stop - just accept the highs & lows.
Really thought I had it licked but so many things outside your control - flight prices, exchange rates, wider economy, safety.
I price in gbp so attract brits, if I have anything short notice left I post in euros & let to Spanish.
This year I started to gte worried as people booked late but its been a really good year.
Really thought I had it licked but so many things outside your control - flight prices, exchange rates, wider economy, safety.
I price in gbp so attract brits, if I have anything short notice left I post in euros & let to Spanish.
This year I started to gte worried as people booked late but its been a really good year.
Yes, agree with others, it is so variable from year to year.
Early this year i was so worried about not having many booking then we got a lot of late booking so all in all it evened its self out.
One thing is for sure is not to sit on your laurels as what worked to get booking in last year may not work this year.
Early this year i was so worried about not having many booking then we got a lot of late booking so all in all it evened its self out.
One thing is for sure is not to sit on your laurels as what worked to get booking in last year may not work this year.