This is a guest post by RemoteLock. RemoteLock provides the ability for property owners to centrally and remotely manage property access from anywhere in the world.
Despite the pandemic and these turbulent times, there is good news as we head into the New Year. Travelers are excited to hit the road and the skies, and they’re making plans to do just that. As a vacation rental owner or manager, what can you do to take advantage of this uptick in demand and secure more reservations? RemoteLock has compiled the top three ways vacation rental owners and managers are upping the ante for 2022.
#1 Catering to Digital Nomads
A study by Upwork conducted from October 21 to November 7, 2020, more than six months after the Covid-19 pandemic began, found that 41.8% of Americans are still working remotely. Despite several high-profile companies working to bring employees back to the office in 2021, the same survey reports that businesses expect that 58% of their workforces will be fully remote in five years. This shift to remote working has sparked a new travel trend—״flexcationing״—that will likely become the new standard. Travelers are taking advantage of more flexible work and school conditions by reserving longer stays in places ripe for mixing work and play.
For vacation rental managers, that may mean rethinking some of your spaces. A single digital nomad needs a dedicated workspace with good lighting. But a whole family may need multiple areas that allow for laptops and spreading out. In order to check this amenity on your Airbnb listing, you need to offer a table or desk with room for a laptop, access to an outlet, and a chair that’s comfortable to work in. Don’t forget to make guests aware of these workspaces in photos and captions.
You need strong Wi-Fi to support video calls and remote meetings, too. Be sure to mention if you have fast Wi-Fi in your listing description and include a screenshot of a Wi-Fi speed test in your listing photos if possible. Wi-Fi boosters and extenders are another option to improve performance.
#2 Providing Easy, Safe Access
Having endured the last 18 months, travelers today expect, and often demand, convenient self-check-ins that minimize face-to-face interactions. Hosts that embrace advancements in technology like keyless access will come out on top. Properties with smart locks also increase guests’ sense of safety, whereas a lockbox has the liability of the wrong person entering via an unchanged lockbox code, or worse, a duplicated key. Plus, these nomads will likely stay longer and require more comings and goings for errands, grocery shopping, and exploring. Streamlined access makes everything easier for these guests, who don’t want to worry about lost keys.
#3 Shining Up Their Listings
After you’ve highlighted your property’s amenities around remote work, you should also consider a general facelift for your listings. Today’s travelers want to envision their getaways. So pile on the details with thorough descriptions, amenity photos, clearly outlined cancellation policies and information about cleaning routines.
Those digital nomads will likely want to stay longer, too. In fact, Vrbo reports that 39% of travelers say their next vacation will be at least a week, and 55% of families say they would spend more on more extended stays. Are you offering a discount for longer stays? That’s an inducement that tops the reasons travelers will book another night, according to a study from Expedia Group.
Tune Into The New Traveler
While travelers are excited to pack their bags and getaway, they’re also searching, booking, and staying in new ways. Today, travel is all about reducing uncertainty and finding comfortable, safe spaces. Vacation rental managers who are tuned in to these unique desires will see more opportunities than ever to get new business, earn repeat stays, and refine a new guest experience in 2022.
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