How to promote your Holiday Let as a destination

Last Updated on March 29, 2016 by admin

Destinations are the places we all fall in love with; the home to our holidays and the areas we all want to visit and experience. The word ‘experience’ is the key here; it’s not just about a holiday home, it’s a long weekend, a school holiday or a week-long retreat packed full of experiences, some large, some small, but all incredibly important in building the overall destination experience.

So how should you promote your holiday let as a destination?

Given that your guests will spend the majority of their time away from your holiday home, we take a look at a few of the areas you should be promoting in order to get them to your door…

Access

The first thing any would-be guest is going to need to do is get there, meaning accessibility is going to play an important role in the holiday booking process, particularly if they’re going away with young children.

So how easy is it? Have you got the facility on your website to give them directions or an inkling as to how long the journey would take?

If you have good travel links then highlight these.

Also consider where the majority of your visitors come from; is there additional information you could provide for those travelling from the midlands as an example?

Attractions

We’ve already said that your guests will spend the majority of their time outside of your holiday cottage, and even more so in the summer months.

What is it they’ll be doing when they’re out there?

Know your market and highlight the attractions that are going to tick the boxes; if you’re appealing to the young family market they’re going to want to know of local family days out.  Based near the sea, on a moor or in an area of outstanding natural beauty? You’ll want them to know of all the best beaches, hiking routes and killer views!

A common mistake can be to highlight attractions too far from your holiday home. If there are some large attractions that are more than 30 minutes from your cottage ensure you make it clear how far they are in order to manage your guest’s expectations.

Eateries

Great food, fine wine, a relaxing atmosphere; these are things that many visitors will be looking to enjoy in local pubs and restaurants during their stay.

So, are you utilising local eateries to the fullest advantage when looking to secure bookings and add value for your visitors?

Many holiday home websites will provide plenty of information about places to visit, but sometimes neglect the great local food and drink. If this is a thriving asset to the local area be sure to do it justice. If you’re looking for more ideas on on how you can promote your holiday let by embracing culinary tourism, we have some tips here:

• How embracing culinary tourism can boost bookings

Places to shop

Don’t just think clothes and shoes! They’re going to be staying in your holiday cottage, so if they can’t be tempted by some of the great local pubs and restaurants, where are they able to buy the necessities? Are you near a town or a local village shop that gives them everything you need?

Having said the comment about clothes and shoes, if you’re near a great shopping district, perhaps an area steeped in history and local art then make sure they know everything there is to know.

Events

Events will often bring mass numbers of people to a specific location; think Glastonbury, Run To The Sun or any number of events held throughout the year.

They don’t always need to be large in order for people to travel; if you have an event near to your holiday letting property ensure it’s promoted. Here are some helpful tips on how you can do just that!

• Ten event tourism tips to increase Holiday Home bookings

Where could you promote your holiday let?

Content makes the online world go round; be sure to regularly update your blog with latest news and information on the local area, as well as having a dedicated area on your website.  Share and team up with local businesses in order to increase the reach you can all gain; your customers are theirs too.

When holiday letting your second home to paying guests it’s essential to take advice on suitable insurance. Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to holiday letting owners across the UK. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444.