bicks

Hi,
just wondered if anyone has aNy info for assisting with vacation property bookings, other than your TripAdvisor and Chalets Direct, and all the other traditional website routes? Advertising in the local towns and communities is one of my next phases.

Running a large chalet as a winter and summer holidays business in the Southern French Alps, and subletting two apartments.

This time last year the business had more than double the bookings, this year we are 70% down for winter and summer. Maybe people appear to be waiting to the very last minute to book.
We rent the chalet all year round and at the moment its hemorrhaging cash like a bad poker player in Vegas.

Any thoughts or suggested very much appreciated.

dmu

Hi, I can't help with websites, etc... but I can say that you aren't the only one suffering....
The French media are reporting that worldwide tourists are giving France the cold shoulder this year, due to the regular strikes, demonstrations, risks of terrorist attacks, ..., and are going elsewhere. The French are also influenced by these factors, but in addition, due to ever-increasing unemployment, many can't afford to go away this year.
2016 is likely to be an Annus Horribilis for the whole hospitality trade and it's depressing for everyone.
Let's hope that the economy will pick up in 2017 and that the tourists will be back!

audio

Here in the North West there are two similar chambre d'hôtes.
One has very few bookings and the other is fully booked until late September.
The more successful one uses one of the frequently advertised online booking agencies.

InVinoVeritas

I would give AirBNB a try - for many French it has become the go-to website for property lets.

JC3

Hi Bicks,

I suggest you focus your advertising on the big online holiday rental sites – that should generate far more awareness and bookings for you than advertising in local towns and communities.

If you are not already using HomeAway, you probably should. It has huge worldwide reach, and features over 1m live vacation rental listings in 190 countries.
HomeAway also owns VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner) and Owners Direct. Most of VRBO's properties are listed on the HomeAway site, but Owners Direct still covers its own list of rentals, so I suggest you also advertise there.

There’s a handy list and description of the ‘big boys’ on the MoneySaving Expert site, here:

Holiday Rentals: cheap self-catering villas, cottages - MSE

Good luck!

JC3

bicks

THanks very much for aLL the info!


Problem is I have now is whether I should continue to advertise my prices in £ or €'s?

EuroTrash

Have you ever considered employing a business advisor

petitefrancaise

If you have well-heeled customers from outside eurozone (ie Brits) then I'd go with euros. This will also help you attract eurozone clients.

BUT if you're dealing with Americans then use dollars. Make it easy for them

Now would also be a good time to send an email to all the people who have been to you before asking them for their opinion on euros or not. You never know you might get some feedback and maybe a booking or two.

good luck.

bicks

Thanks, I will!

bicks

Good idea, preferably someone with £ and € market nous would be a bonus!
Our chalet rent has gone up £250!

EuroTrash

Are you simply renting a chalet and subletting it to holidaymakers ?
If that's the case and your rent and all the overheads, heating, chalet maids, whatever you provide, is in €, surely you need your income to be in € too ? And definitely be marketing it to € clients ? All or most income in £ and all outgoings in € would seem risky at the best of times unless you follow the markets keenly, and a bit of a recipe for disaster right now, short term.

bicks

>>And definitely be marketing it to € clients ?
it's about 50% Europeans and 50% brits. Very occasionally US clients.

Think I need to find a currency converter widget to display the converted price per viewers' country...

or just have it all in Euro's!?

EuroTrash

If I were you I would be trying to change that. Focus on marketing it to Europeans. Lots of Brits who pay in sterling aren't what I would be aiming for right now - better than no bookings, but if I could fill it with EU clients paying in euros, I would be far happier.

bicks

Yes indeed, makes sense

Word from the ESF Director here her reckons, is that the bigger Brit Ski and chalet companies will potentially suffer longterm

EuroTrash

Most UK holiday companies, or indeed any company that takes money in £ and pays out in €, will have already "forward bought" vast amounts of euros at as good a rate as they could get, to tide them through the uncertain times ahead, ie this season at least. If/when those euros run out, that's when it'll rock them.
But if you haven't stocked up on euros already, now is not the time to do it.