How to Market to and Prepare for Every Type of Traveler
The great thing about being part of the vacation rental industry is that travel appeals to almost everyone.
While many industries and businesses turn to specific and limited audiences and try to target them, luckily for you everyone loves to travel, which means you can consider anyone with a passport a potential client.
This means your business is highly scalable. It also means you’re going to need to learn how to accommodate a very broad range of guests and make your listings inviting to as many different types of travelers as possible.
Here’s a quick rundown on the different types of travelers you’ll find on your doorstep as well as a few key tips to giving each and every one of them a 5-star stay:
1. The Commuter
Though the hotel room has loyally served the business travel world since business travel first became a thing, short-term rentals are becoming an increasingly popular “home away from home” for companies and their commuters. In fact, in just two short years, the number of companies using Airbnb jumped, or more accurately, vaulted, from a meager 250 to a mighty 250,000!
Why? Pretty much the same reason everyone else is hopping aboard the “short-term-rental” train: more personal experiences for more attractive prices.
If you’d like to tap into this emerging clientele base – and honestly, why wouldn’t you? – there are some pretty simple and straightforward steps you can take to make your listings business travel-friendly:
- Equip them with strong and reliable WiFi as well as access to multiple power outlets
- Designate comfortable working spaces
- Offer options for self-check-in to eliminate time-consuming coordination and allow for the flexibility often required for business travel
- Provide common hotel amenities like towels and toiletries
- Think luxury: guests who’ve spent the day working want to come back to nice, plush bedding and maybe even some complimentary slippers
In terms of marketing, channels like Airbnb allow users to filter their searches so that they get only business travel-friendly results. Just be sure to check their requirements to see that your listings qualify.
2. The Brady Bunch
For some, it’s not a vacation unless the kids are 1,000 miles away at grandma’s house. For others, airplane bathroom diaper changes and an endless parade of “Are we theeeeere yet?” are simply a part of the experience. Making your properties family-friendly can earn you a lot of business. Here’s what you can offer guests to make their ‘kids-included’ trip feel less like a waking nightmare and more like an actual vacation:
- A completely child-proofed space – free of choking hazards, unblocked outlets, and sharp edges. This also means clearing out fancy, breakable things that will have parents anxiously biting their nails
- Baby contraptions- whether it’s a pack ‘n’ play or a baby bouncer, exhausted moms and dads will be eternally grateful to have somewhere to put their babies and give their aching arms a few moments of rest
- Entertainment – toys, puzzles, coloring books, the works. It’s easy to provide, and for exhausted parents, an hour of occupied kids after a long day of exploring feels like a voucher for three full-body massages
- Cleaning supplies – It’s no secret that kids equal a messes. An equipped apartment will help them keep the place tidy throughout the stay.
Again, you can list your bookings as family-friendly so long as they meet the criteria of your OTA.
3. The Backpacker
You’ve got the people who bring their kids, nannies and dogs, and then you’ve got the travelers who bring nothing but a rucksack. For these adventurous folk, having a comfortable base in the center of the action is far more appealing than holing up in a cold, isolating hotel room. So how do you make sure your listing is a place where they’d want to hang up their backpacks and kick off their shoes?
Backpackers are generally pretty limited in terms of both budget and space, so the best you can offer them is affordable lodging complete with a bunch of necessities they’d rather not lug around on their backs. You can provide lower rates by renting out shared rooms or single rooms in a shared house or apartment. These folks are used to bunking down with strangers; in fact, it’s often how they meet their favorite traveling companions.
In terms of amenities, stocking up on pretty much everything you can find in the toiletries section will give you street cred in the backpacking circles (and trust me, these guys talk).
These explorers will also go crazy for a map with circled ‘must-sees’ as well as some travel guides to all the local thrills.
To get this crowd interested in your listings, make sure to include ample photos of your properties as well as the surrounding environment; pubs, museums, walking paths, and whatever else might draw the eye of people looking to immerse themselves in the culture of the city.
From escapists to honeymooners, there are so many different types of travelers. With just a little adjusting, your properties have the potential to appeal to them all.