Every week I read vacation rental industry reports, earnings calls, traveler surveys, and research studies.
One thing I've noticed over the years is that the most useful insights usually don't come from a single report. The insights become more convincing when different companies study different data and reach the same conclusion.
That's when it really gets my attention.
Here are three patterns that stood out this week:
1) Communication keeps showing up everywhere
One chart in Vrbo's latest traveler survey stood out to me:
86% of travelers said they'd pay more for a vacation rental with a higher-quality listing.
What's interesting is how travelers are defining “high quality.”
Source: Vrbo
3 of the top 4 operational signals are about communication.
That immediately reminded me of another chart I shared a couple weeks ago:
Source: IntelliHost
IntelliHost found that communication was the review category most strongly associated with higher revenue (even ahead of cleanliness, location, or value).
Those are two completely independent datasets pointing in the same direction.
The data’s telling us that travelers see strong communication as a sign of quality, and listings with better communication scores tend to earn more revenue.
That makes communication a low-cost area that most hosts can likely improve… And it could be as simple as responding faster, setting clearer expectations, or making check-in instructions easier to follow.
2) The fastest ways to lose a booking
Another chart worth spending 30 seconds on is what travelers called “the biggest deal breakers” when choosing a vacation rental.
Source: Vrbo
I like this chart because it flips the usual question… Most hosts focus on what they can add to make a property stand out.
But this survey of 1,758 travelers suggests that getting more bookings could be as simple as removing the reasons that someone might hesitate or distrust the listing.
Clear prices, honest photos, reasonable fees, and strong reviews aren’t exciting upgrades... But an expensive amenity won’t help much if the listing feels confusing or untrustworthy.
3) Promotions matter more than most hosts think
This final chart stood out because I've spent so much time recently building GuestLink.
One of GuestLink’s core ideas is helping hosts stay in touch with past guests, and giving guests a reason to book again.
The data continues to show how important that is.
Source: Vrbo
Nearly 45% of travelers said promotions help them choose between similar properties.
Think about that for a minute.
For almost half of travelers, an offer could help decide whether they book your property or the listing down the street.
And the offer doesn’t need to be massive. SiteMinder found that 42% of U.S. travelers say freebies influence their decision to return. That could mean free early check-in, a welcome gift, a complimentary add-on, or a small discount.
And Vrbo’s data suggests the upside may go beyond simply winning the booking. Promotions can also encourage guests to book sooner, extend their stay, upgrade, or choose a property they otherwise might not have booked.
That matters because separate research from Key Data found that repeat guests tend to pay higher nightly rates, stay longer, and book further in advance.
That’s a lot of potential upside from one simple action: staying in touch and making an offer.
Further reading
