The holiday season is a time of full calendars and high occupancy for hotels, guesthouses and flats. However, as the summer months draw to a close, many property owners are wondering how to increase bookings in the off-season and how to effectively attract guests during the so-called 'dead period'. Autumn and winter do not have to mean empty rooms - it is a good time to implement new sales strategies, use tools such as channel manager and bet on promotions and presence on booking sites such as Booking.com or Airbnb.
Why use the OTA after the season?
After the holidays, the number of bookings drops, but travellers are still looking for destinations for short weekend trips, city breaks or stays linked to holidays and local events. Most of them look first at OTAs (Online Travel Agencies), such as Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia or Travelist. This is where visitors compare prices, look for promotions and check reviews.
Presence in Booking.com has several key advantages:
- huge reach and visibility among tourists,
- the opportunity to use Booking.com's promotional tools to make your property stand out,
- easy to reach customers from abroad, who often look for accommodation exclusively through OTAs.
In order for a presence in the OTA to be effective, it is necessary to Channel Manager in the system mobile-calendar. Real-time synchronisation eliminates the risk of double bookings and saves time that would normally be spent manually logging into each portal.
Promotions and special offers - how to attract visitors in the off-season?
Visitors are happy to book accommodation if they see seasonal promotions or attractive packages. That is why it is worth preparing in the off-season:
- discount offers Type "20% discounts only in November",
- packages last minute for those planning a spontaneous trip,
- Weekend promotions, e.g. "2 nights for the price of 1", "Weekend for two with breakfast".
How to use holidays and local events to increase occupancy?
"Dead period" is only a seemingly quiet time. You'll find plenty of occasions on the calendar that can be a great excuse to travel and book online:
- Andrzejki - A package with a themed party, music and dinner.
- Santa Claus - stays for families with children, with animation and a festive atmosphere.
- Christmas markets - perfect for weekend city breaks.
- New Year's Eve and New Year's Day - special packages with a ball or intimate dinner.
- Winter holidays - not only in the mountains, but also at the seaside and in smaller towns where families seek peace and quiet.
It is worth establishing a partnership with a local attraction - such as a swimming pool, spa, museum or theme park. Combined packages (accommodation + attraction) are very attractive to visitors and increase the chance of a booking.
Online booking system - why is it essential in the off-season?
Many potential visitors start their search for accommodation by typing a phrase into a search engine: hotel by the sea november, Accommodation Andrews weekend, winter holiday flat. They click through a number of venues' websites to check the offer. However, if they do not find the opportunity on your website immediate online booking, they often... go straight to an OTA (Booking.com, Airbnb) or choose a competitor that gives them a quick 'Book Now' button.
Why is this so important? Today's customer expects simplicity and convenience. If he or she has to email or call first to check room availability, the risk of losing the booking increases. This is where the online booking system integrated into your website.
Online booking system in mobile-calendar allows the visitor:
- check availability and prices in real time,
- make a reservation immediately, without contacting reception,
- pay for your stay online - quickly and safely.
What's more, the mobile-calendar's online booking system works in full integration with the Channel Manager. This means that if someone books a stay through your website, the calendars on Booking.com or Airbnb will automatically update - and vice versa. Zero double bookings, zero chaos.
This solution is particularly relevant low seasonwhen you are fighting for every customer. A visitor who comes across your website on Google should be able to book and pay immediately - before they have time to consider other options.
Social media and newsletter - building relationships with visitors
When you want to increase your hotel's occupancy in the off-season, you can't forget to communicate with your customers.
- Use social media to show the climate of the site in autumn and winter - photos and short films build up excitement.
- Run online competitions, such as 'win a weekend stay' - this increases reach and attracts the attention of new customers.
Summary - how to increase bookings in the off-season?
The end of the holidays does not have to mean empty rooms. To effectively increase your hotel's occupancy during the 'dead period', it is worthwhile:
- be present in OTAs such as Booking.com i Airbnb,
- use tools such as channel manager mobile-calendar for the synchronisation of calendars and prices,
- prepare promotions and stay packages,
- Use holidays and local events as an excuse to book online,
- build relationships with visitors through social media.
System mobile-calendar supports accommodation owners in managing bookings and sales channels. This allows you to enjoy stable revenues and high occupancy rates even in the less popular months.
