2020 Travel trends and how to respond to them
The travel industry is constantly changing and travellers are looking for very different things now than they used to be. It is important to understand this if you are renting out your property, as by keeping up with the trends, you can make changes to appeal to more travellers, thereby securing more bookings.
Here are just a few of the travel trends to expect in 2020 from Forbes, with our advice on how to capitalise on them for your Spanish holiday rental property to maximise bookings in 2020.
- Dual location holidays
According to Virtuoso, there’s a trend to visit one country, but stay in two destinations which have very different characteristics. This maximises the experience, without doubling up on the flights and the expense of travel. Property owners on the Costa del Sol can capitalise on this by promoting their proximity to cities such as Granada, Seville and Jerez. You can also share that we are just a 2 hour train ride away from Madrid, so for a two centre holiday combining culture, sun and cosmopolitan charm, the Costa del Sol is a great choice.
Another way to promote your property to these kinds of travellers is to explain the diversity in this very small area and to say that every day can be different for visitors to the Costa del Sol. One day you could be enjoying the art galleries of Malaga, the next you could be walking the Caminito del Rey, then you can stroll along the seafront promenade in Marbella and enjoy the glitz and glamour of Puerto Banus. Tell visitors that they are just an hour from the famous Ronda gorge and that they can visit bodegas and try locally produced wine while they are there. Make sure they also know that they can whale watch in the Straits of Gibraltar, take a cable car to the top of the Rock and even spend a day kitesurfing in Tarifa. A holiday on the Costa del Sol epitomises variety and offers something for everyone.
- Reducing impact
Short haul flights and alternative methods of greener transport are growing in popularity. This is good news for the Costa del Sol, as we are easy to reach by car from the rest of Europe and are just a short flight even from Scandinavia and the UK. If people want to travel by train, we have the AVE from Madrid to Malaga and then a train line connecting Malaga with Torremolinos, Benalmadena and Fuengirola. Make sure travel options are listed on your promotional materials and inform people of alternatives to flights where available.
- Mini-breaks
The trend for more trips through the year, but for shorter periods is expected to grow in 2020, as people juggle their holiday allowance and family responsibilities with their wanderlust. To appeal to this market, drop your minimum stay period to 3 days for example to allow people to visit for a long weekend. As the Costa del Sol is so easy to reach, you could attract repeat bookings with this policy and potentially increase your off-peak bookings as well.
- Travelling with pets
We all know that people love their pets and millennials don’t want to leave them at home when they travel. If you are happy to allow pets to stay in your property and can recommend good walks, dog parks and activities for pets and their owners you can open up a whole new market. Offer advice on when dogs can be on the beaches, leave details of vets and groomers and you’ll have very happy customers of the two and four legged variety.
- Vegan friendliness
There are more vegans, vegetarians and meat reducers who want their travel options to cater to their dietary requirements and support their lifestyle. If your property has easy access to vegan restaurants, markets selling organic fresh produce and you don’t have furniture or furnishings made from animal products, you can appeal to this market.
If you would like more advice on how to harness the 2020 travel trends to increase bookings, or would like to try and rent out your property short or long term, please speak to us.
We have been offering quality property management for property owners on the Costa del Sol since 2003. We have dedicated websites for short term and long term rentals and an exclusive agreement in place with Europe’s largest provider of privately owned holiday homes and arrangements with travel operators in the UK and Ireland to feed bookings to our owners. You can rely on us to reduce the stress of owning your Costa del Sol property, help you make extra income and allow you to enjoy your property while knowing it is being taken care of by the best people in the business.
Find out more about HomeCareontheWeb and how we can help you to earn more rental income on our website, or contact us today.
