In a recent interview with USA TODAY, renowned travel publishers Arthur and Pauline Frommer called vacation rentals the “single strongest trend in recent years.” Here’s what they told travel writer Candyce H. Stapen:
What are some travel trends?
Arthur: The single strongest trend in recent years that people are substituting apartment rentals and vacation home rentals for hotel rooms. Travelers are contacting local rental agencies, and sites like FlipKey and Airbnb.
Pauline: Staying in a home instead of a hotel gives you a more authentic experience and it’s often cheaper than a hotel stay.
Arthur and Pauline are both exactly right. According to Skift, U.S. travelers spent $23 billion on vacation rentals in 2012 alone. That is equal to 7% of the U.S. travel market and 20% of the lodging market. It may seem like a small number, but it is growing each year.
Even more notable is that vacation rentals are becoming easier and more popular to book online. In the past, finding a vacation rental involved the time-consuming process of calling property managers or driving around until a traveler found a sign for a vacation rental. But now, the percentage of vacation rentals that are completely bookable online has doubled — up from 24% in 2012 compared to a mere 12% in 2007. This is revolutionizing the industry, making it just as easy to book a vacation rental online as it is to book a hotel room or airfare.
Here at FlipKey, more than 90,000 of our listings are online bookable, so go check them out and start booking your next vacation!
Happy Travels!
