26 Nov Private accommodation is at a higher recovery rate than hotels

According to Google private accommodation is at a higher recovery rate than hotels globally

After over 10 months of the pandemic, Google is providing a dose of great news to private accommodation owners. In a study that reveals travel sector trends, three major ones emerged, giving insights into consumer travel behaviors.

While travel search trends dropped in March and April, May marked a recovery. Google revealed that search inquiries were vastly different from before, and a majority of them are now about bans, border closures, travel restrictions, and further requirements.

Furthermore, due to health risks and concerns, domestic travel searches saw an upward spiral as people want to go for local options rather than those with large crowds. In fact, a Google August report showed that travelers wanted to find somewhere local to stay for the next half-year, even if restrictions got lifted. The trend continues well into October.

Why? Because vacation rentals and private accommodation are thought to be more hygienic, safe with lesser crowds, and have better social distancing. Flexible cancellation policies is also another factor.

Google is planning to make an exclusive search for vacation rentals which was clubbed with regular accommodation before.

It remains to be seen how fast the global hotel industry will recover, however with the second wave of COVID-19 affecting several countries we might very well see another drop. This gives more room from private accommodation and local vacation rentals to grow. People are warming up to the idea of staycations and opting for short-term rentals owing to uncertainty and restrictions.