Summer 2021 Review
Despite the health context and capricious weather, the French need to get away from it all has helped to maintain the number of visitors.
ADN Tourism
The summer season was a relief for the professionals with a frequentation clearly higher than 2020. Indeed, if 6 out of 10 French people had expressed the wish to go on holiday, it is indeed 59% of them who travelled this summer. This is an encouraging figure for domestic travel and has helped to offset the drop in foreign customers.
In this context, how can you maximize your occupancy rate by the summer of 2022? That's the question we're going to answer.
How do I prepare my accommodation?
Preparation is the key to optimizing your booking schedule. You must have a rigorous plan to anticipate your travellers' expectations in order to provide them with the ideal experience.
Your anti-covid accommodation
Travellers are naturally cautious about the safety and hygiene of their holiday destinations. Be sure to highlight all the precautions you take to protect your guests. Every little detail is important.
For example, after a traveller leaves, make sure the property is well ventilated. We also recommend that you encourage your guests to air the property frequently during their stay to minimize the risk.
If you are used to favouring payment at the counter or handing over the keys in person, you must adapt to restrict the exchanges between your guests and your team as much as possible.
Numerous dematerialized tools such as Swikly allow you to ensure an optimal customer experience from a distance: Digitize the process from the reservation to the departure of the traveler, including the inventory of fixtures and the deposit.
You can also consult our action plan to protect your ecosystem from COVID-19.
Your summer equipment
There are many elements that will make your listings stand out during the summer. Adding a summer accent to your property can make a difference when travelers choose a destination.
If your properties have an outdoor space, adding outdoor furniture, a barbecue can help position your accommodation as an ideal summer getaway.
Prepare the gardens to be as pleasant as possible. Your guests will certainly make the most of the outdoor areas. You need to make sure that they look good and invite your travellers to enjoy the long, warm summer evenings.
Of course, if your accommodation has a swimming pool, it is essential to prepare it before the summer season so that it is clean and ready for use.
Also think about changing the bedding with light sheets and changing the direction of the mattresses if they have a summer side.
It is essential for travellers to project themselves. Anticipate their desires and do not hesitate to observe what your competitors are able to offer them.
Your pricing strategies
Another important factor is to define the right cancellation policies and pricing strategies. It has been proven that flexible cancellation policies work much better than strict cancellation policies. This is especially true in the current health environment.
A good alternative is to set different cancellation policies depending on the level of flexibility travelers want to have and tailor prices to each.
Also be aware of the booking demand in your market and adjust your rates accordingly. If demand is high, you may be able to use rates that are comparable to pre-pandemic rates. But if demand in your area remains low, you may need to be less aggressive in your price increases this year.
Remember that reviewing your rates and cancellation policies will likely improve your ranking in the various OTAs!
Advance bookings
With COVID-19, we have seen that more bookings are being made at the last minute for fear of having their trips cancelled by new restrictions. To counteract this trend, you can for example offer discounts for travellers who book several months in advance.
This allows you to start filling your calendars and secure your reservations for the peak season. This type of discount may attract the more optimistic travelers or those located in areas where they are confident of travel.
You can vary the timeframe of this promotion depending on the platforms and the percentage of discount. As an indication, these discounts are put in place up to a maximum of one month before the stay. Another positive aspect of this type of operation is that you can define a stricter cancellation policy in exchange for a lower rate.
Last minute bookings
As mentioned above, it is very possible that there will be a lot of last minute bookings during this upcoming summer.
Restrictions will again play an important role and if it is possible to travel abroad around summer, last minute bookings could potentially increase. Therefore, if you have slow periods in your calendars, you should try to attract spontaneous travellers.
Don't forget to update your online listings on your OTAs to reflect any changes you make, including emphasizing summer activities in the description.
A good way to do this is to delete the minimum or maximum length of stay to give potential customers more flexibility. Also, price is a very important element in last minute bookings.
Last minute discounts are the main triggers for a spontaneous traveller to make a decision. Be strategic when selecting the discount and compare it with your competitors' prices.
Remember that discounts usually improve your ranking position on OTAs.
Your ads
It is essential to allow your prospects to project themselves when reading your ads. As a picture is worth a thousand words, you must highlight your properties through your photos.
Think of updating your ads with photos taken during the summer. This allows you to contextualize your accommodations and to highlight their advantages during this season. It is essential to choose a sunny day for the shooting!
You should also make sure that your properties are clean and tidy on the day of the shoot to leave the best possible impression. Remember, it is through the photos of your ads that you convey your image. Your prospects will see that you are making an effort and it will give a professional look to your business.
On the other hand, it is preferable that your properties look lived in. Don't fall into the trap of showroom type photos that can be seen in the hotel business. This gives a superficial and unauthentic impression!
You can also redecorate your accommodations in warm tones. Feel free to add colour, a fruit basket, photos, etc.
Events
Check with the tourist offices to find out what events are happening in the area. Usually, summer is the time of year when most events take place such as concerts, festivals, fairs, etc.
You can capitalize on these events to boost your bookings. For example, place brochures on the table. You can also mention them in your advertisements, making sure to update them regularly throughout the season.
Annual events are also the best way to keep your travellers loyal. If they enjoyed their stay, they will be more likely to return the following year!
In summary
The summer season requires just as much preparation as the winter. Once again this year, you will have to work with COVID to provide an optimal customer experience for your travellers.
You need to think about how to showcase your properties in a summer context and design them accordingly.
Different pricing strategies can also maximize your occupancy rate depending on your territorial issues and the buying behaviors of your prospects.
By preparing early, you'll be able to have a great season with no downtime!
