When do you expect to have the summer holidays all booked up

Up, down, could be better? How to get more bookings is our number one obsession. Talk shop here.
jazzuk777
Posts: 60
Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 9:55 am
Location: Caister

When do you expect to have the summer holidays all booked up

Post by jazzuk777 »

Hi all,

By when would you start to get worried that your prices or something else is wrong if your summer holiday weeks aren't all booked up yet?
Small Victorian terrace in Caister let to friends and family
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greenbarn
Posts: 6146
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 6:41 pm
Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Post by greenbarn »

Depends on your market.

In our rural area and not attracting the bucket and spade and young family markets, the fairly consistent pattern over ten years has been to have some peak summer weeks across our three cottages still available 3 or 4 weeks beforehand. I’m used to it, they'll sell at full price although it’s still difficult not to fret about it!
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Cymraes
Posts: 519
Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2015 3:31 pm
Location: North Wales

Post by Cymraes »

greenbarn wrote:Depends on your market.

In our rural area and not attracting the bucket and spade and young family markets, the fairly consistent pattern over ten years has been to have some peak summer weeks across our three cottages still available 3 or 4 weeks beforehand. I’m used to it, they'll sell at full price although it’s still difficult not to fret about it!
Same here.

I really enjoyed telling a bargain hunter last year that the week he wanted had gone. He contacted me and asked for my "best price" for the last week in August ( this was end of July). I quoted full price and he tried to deal. I wasn't having any of it and as it happened the week sold at full price the day before he agreed my original price!
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Nemo
Posts: 7062
Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:15 am
Location: Norfolk

Post by Nemo »

In general this year is a lot slower for many regardless of area, but Norfolk specifically is really taking a hit. I don't need to tell you the bad press it's had over the last few months; Storm Eleanor bringing in toxic starfish and dumping on many of the beaches, then we had palm oil plus general coastal erosion at Happisburgh taking away the beach access until this week and also Hemsby. Social media carried a great deal of misinformation as usual. Add in a lot more properties new on the market, new owners doing Airbnb and you can see why many of us are having to work harder and hold our nerves. I still have summer gaps but believe they'll fill eventually.
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apexblue
Posts: 2249
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2008 6:58 pm
Location: UK

Post by apexblue »

If we had not offered short breaks and flexible start days except July and August we would be in trouble.
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.
gardenboy
Posts: 283
Joined: Sat Jul 02, 2011 2:14 pm

Post by gardenboy »

Yes same here, respond to the market. Flexible start and finish, short breaks, keep ahead of competition. Bookings get later every year.
rosebud
Posts: 625
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Steyning, West Sussex

Post by rosebud »

Late July and last 2 weeks of Aug have been slower to book this year..
I reduced my peak short break rates a few weeks ago and had 3 shorter break bookings in the last few days.
Always hard to know what to do.. probably should have held on a bit longer..
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