Search trends from online travel platform Booking.com are revealing that all types of travelers increasingly seek to stay in a single place longer amid the COVID-19 pandemic and its various quarantine restrictions. The upside is that this approach provides visitors with the opportunity to experience their destinations in a whole new way.
Traveler demand would seem to be evolving in this way due to people's desperation for a change of scenery after months of lockdowns, and as many of their favorite haunts remain closed. And, as remote working has largely become the new norm, people are enjoying a newfound to explore new locations without taking a ton of time off.
In response to the emerging trend, Booking.com recently introduced an easy way for its property partners-from hotels to home or apartment rentals- to implement compelling weekly- and monthly-rate plans to drive occupancies by capitalizing on this new, longer-stay segment.
"As part of our commitment to helping our property partners-from hotels to vacation rentals-rebuild their businesses, Booking.com is continuously exploring new ways to help deliver business to them by providing the tools and tailored insights they need to effectively respond to the evolving travel environment," said Eric Bergaglia, global head of Booking.com's homes and apartments business. "Introducing weekly and monthly rate options is just one way we're doing just that, helping partners capitalize on new sources of demand as a growing number of customers look to explore the world with a longer stay, thereby securing additional revenue as the travel industry begins its recovery journey."
Booking.com's user research has shown that the main reason leisure travelers opt for longer stays is that they offer a chance to relax and enjoy peace of mind in a safe, comfortable single location. Longer-stay guests are also more likely to look further into properties' features and facilities, as the desire for privacy, space and amenities tends to drive their searches as they look for an ideal home-away-from-home.
Booking.com's property partners can utilize its new, weekly foundational rate plans to help fill rooms throughout the year, based upon their occupancy needs. Rates for monthly stays, wrote Booking.com's Commercial Director Partner Services, Gianbattista Vespucci, "should be adjusted to your individual business model, seasonality, location of the property and revenue goals."
Alongside the launch of its new weekly- and monthly-rates options, Booking.com has also simplified its users' online search experience by introducing filters so that customers can narrow their results to view private, whole-home accommodations or, say, properties with enhanced health and safety measures, or those that offer dedicated workspaces-all in answer to travelers' new expectations amid COVID-19.
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