Hallo.
This is my first post, so please excuse any errors.
I should like to ask if anyboby else with properties in Spain has also experienced a major downturn in enquiries and bookings for 2004, compared with the two previous years. Or have your bookings held up for 2004?
If you have experienced problems can you suggest an explanation?
Could the Iraq war have had an effect - or are there just too many properties for rental now a days?
Many thanks, and hoping to hear your views.
Costa
Bookings for 2004
Re: Bookings for 2004
[quote="Costa"]Hallo.
This is my first post, so please excuse any errors.
I should like to ask if anyboby else with properties in Spain has also experienced a major downturn in enquiries and bookings for 2004, compared with the two previous years. Or have your bookings held up for 2004?
If you have experienced problems can you suggest an explanation?
Could the Iraq war have had an effect - or are there just too many properties for rental now a days?
Many thanks, and hoping to hear your views.
Sorry I can't help with the reason why bookings are down in 2004.
I am anxious to get advertising on line for 2005.
Can anyone advise me of some good sites to advertise a villa in the Canary Islands (Fuerteventura)??
This is my first post, so please excuse any errors.
I should like to ask if anyboby else with properties in Spain has also experienced a major downturn in enquiries and bookings for 2004, compared with the two previous years. Or have your bookings held up for 2004?
If you have experienced problems can you suggest an explanation?
Could the Iraq war have had an effect - or are there just too many properties for rental now a days?
Many thanks, and hoping to hear your views.
Sorry I can't help with the reason why bookings are down in 2004.
I am anxious to get advertising on line for 2005.
Can anyone advise me of some good sites to advertise a villa in the Canary Islands (Fuerteventura)??
Bookings down 20%-30%
Hi Pedro
Bookings are indeed down this year for lots for reasons. (We run espanabreaks.com and also live in Lanzarote - hope this qualifies our opinion!)
Spain, including the islands, has recorded downturns of 20% to 30% in visitors this year - although the worst hit were package holidays.
This had the knock-on effect that ridiculously priced packages appeared as last minute deals over the summer holidays - which caused great problems for villa renters who couldn't compete with £200 all-inclusives.
Reason for the poor year? Lots - though probably not the war. The weak dollar pushed lots to the US plus there's a raft of new European destinations which are affecting Spain's ability to compete.
Spain is also still not learning from the "over-build, over-capacity" issue of previous years. In some areas (including Lanzarote and Fuerteventura) owners are competing against twice the number of properties this year to last - all vying for an overall lower number of tourists. Not good.
I would still have a fairly optimistic outlook in Fuerteventura. The championship golf course has won the island some newfound respect and there is a growing demand for the island.
As always, the answer is to stay competitive.
Advertise in the best places (preferably more than 1!), watch the competition like a hawk, give good service and don't miss the Jan/Feb rush.
Hope this helps!
Rich
Bookings are indeed down this year for lots for reasons. (We run espanabreaks.com and also live in Lanzarote - hope this qualifies our opinion!)
Spain, including the islands, has recorded downturns of 20% to 30% in visitors this year - although the worst hit were package holidays.
This had the knock-on effect that ridiculously priced packages appeared as last minute deals over the summer holidays - which caused great problems for villa renters who couldn't compete with £200 all-inclusives.
Reason for the poor year? Lots - though probably not the war. The weak dollar pushed lots to the US plus there's a raft of new European destinations which are affecting Spain's ability to compete.
Spain is also still not learning from the "over-build, over-capacity" issue of previous years. In some areas (including Lanzarote and Fuerteventura) owners are competing against twice the number of properties this year to last - all vying for an overall lower number of tourists. Not good.
I would still have a fairly optimistic outlook in Fuerteventura. The championship golf course has won the island some newfound respect and there is a growing demand for the island.
As always, the answer is to stay competitive.
Advertise in the best places (preferably more than 1!), watch the competition like a hawk, give good service and don't miss the Jan/Feb rush.
Hope this helps!
Rich
Richard Speigal, Editor, España Breaks
2004 numbers
HI all,
We rent out our small studio located about 25 minutes north west of Malaga and have just come to the end of our second season 'in the business' I have found bookings up on last year as have most of my friends here who do the same sort of thing. I advertise in a couple of specialist publications in the UK and on my own, dare I say it, estate agency's web site and really could not wish for more response ! Its been super !
Do PM me for more info as I don't want to give free publicity to anyone !
Regards from the Guadalhorce Valley.
We rent out our small studio located about 25 minutes north west of Malaga and have just come to the end of our second season 'in the business' I have found bookings up on last year as have most of my friends here who do the same sort of thing. I advertise in a couple of specialist publications in the UK and on my own, dare I say it, estate agency's web site and really could not wish for more response ! Its been super !
Do PM me for more info as I don't want to give free publicity to anyone !
Regards from the Guadalhorce Valley.
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Linda Freese
- Posts: 175
- Joined: Sat Oct 02, 2004 9:00 am
- Location: Costa del Sol
Hi Everyone
We have a couple of our own properties and manage several others. This year I have found that the bookings for smaller/cheaper apartments have been great but the larger more expensive properties have been harder to rent out. I always look at my competitors pricing and try to keep in line with them. I advertise all my properties on www.holiday-rentals.com which I find to be the best site for me. I have also found Costa vacations really good. They seem to be at the top of several search engines and I have had a good response since advertising with them. Their site isn´t the best I´ve seen but it seems to work!
Hope you´re all enjoying the cooler weather - I certainly am!
Linda
We have a couple of our own properties and manage several others. This year I have found that the bookings for smaller/cheaper apartments have been great but the larger more expensive properties have been harder to rent out. I always look at my competitors pricing and try to keep in line with them. I advertise all my properties on www.holiday-rentals.com which I find to be the best site for me. I have also found Costa vacations really good. They seem to be at the top of several search engines and I have had a good response since advertising with them. Their site isn´t the best I´ve seen but it seems to work!
Hope you´re all enjoying the cooler weather - I certainly am!
Linda
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Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
This question of the level of enquiries and bookings just might have something to do with the method of marketing.
I have friends who have a holiday apartment in Los Alcazares, overlooking the Mar Menor. It is a beautiful two bedroom/two bathroom apartment, equipped with everything you could imagine and a huge roof terrace. They use it occasionally for themselves and for the rest of the year it is available for holiday lets.
They only let through a local English agent who achieved the grand total of two weeks in 2004. Their immediate neighbours exclusively market through a personal website and got over 30 weeks booked in 2004.
Is there a message to be read into this or is it a complete accident?
Alan
I have friends who have a holiday apartment in Los Alcazares, overlooking the Mar Menor. It is a beautiful two bedroom/two bathroom apartment, equipped with everything you could imagine and a huge roof terrace. They use it occasionally for themselves and for the rest of the year it is available for holiday lets.
They only let through a local English agent who achieved the grand total of two weeks in 2004. Their immediate neighbours exclusively market through a personal website and got over 30 weeks booked in 2004.
Is there a message to be read into this or is it a complete accident?
Alan
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Linda Freese
- Posts: 175
- Joined: Sat Oct 02, 2004 9:00 am
- Location: Costa del Sol
Alan, I´ve heard the same stories from other owners attempting to let their properties through local agents. One was even told that there was no longer a demand for holiday lets on the Costa del Sol!!! 
I would always advise new owners to advertise their properties themselves but keep an eye on the competition to make sure that they are not pricing themselves out of the market.
I would always advise new owners to advertise their properties themselves but keep an eye on the competition to make sure that they are not pricing themselves out of the market.
Alan,
The message has to be: get them over here! That is criminal, there is already enough information and expertise on this forum to help them invest in a little online marketing for good returns in 2005.
Marketing is everything. The most beautiful house in the world won't get any bookings if it is marketed badly enough. On the other hand I have seen some very ordinary rental homes that get great booking levels. Not too many repeats though...
The message has to be: get them over here! That is criminal, there is already enough information and expertise on this forum to help them invest in a little online marketing for good returns in 2005.
Marketing is everything. The most beautiful house in the world won't get any bookings if it is marketed badly enough. On the other hand I have seen some very ordinary rental homes that get great booking levels. Not too many repeats though...
Paolo
Lay My Hat
Lay My Hat
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Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
Paolo,
I do hope it’s not what I said but the experience of my friends which you regard as being criminal.
If it is the latter, I couldn’t agree more! A local agent with 1000 clients at £200 each (“cheap at the half the price with your money back� he said) makes £200,000 p.a. for the agent. Mind you, he has to be full of excuses at the end of the year when there are no bookings.
I suspect we are talking about the same thing. It’s all about addressing your audience. If their focus moves then so must yours, otherwise your audience isn’t listening and you can finish up talking to “nobody�.
Alan
.That is criminal.
I do hope it’s not what I said but the experience of my friends which you regard as being criminal.
If it is the latter, I couldn’t agree more! A local agent with 1000 clients at £200 each (“cheap at the half the price with your money back� he said) makes £200,000 p.a. for the agent. Mind you, he has to be full of excuses at the end of the year when there are no bookings.
And I am sure there’s tons more to come.There is already enough information and expertise on this forum to help them invest in a little online marketing for good returns in 2005.
My friends are not currently members of the forum. Even if they never join, I am trying to “jolly� them into personal marketing.Get them over here!
Precisely, and in exactly the same way, the most beautiful website in the world won't get any bookings if it is marketed badly enough so that no one finds it.The most beautiful house in the world won't get any bookings if it is marketed badly enough.
I suspect we are talking about the same thing. It’s all about addressing your audience. If their focus moves then so must yours, otherwise your audience isn’t listening and you can finish up talking to “nobody�.
Alan
Another interesting issue to think about is that UK travel agents are moving away from mainland Spain to places like Croatia and Bulgaria.
Will this help holiday home renters with competition down from travel agents?
In my opinion (for what it is worth) I think the answer is it will certainly help home owners renting in Spain - simply because of the sheer number of low cost airlines operating all over Spain, and the fact that holidaymakers needs and requirements are changing.. gone are the day of holidaymakers wanting to book an over crowded hotel.
What do you think though?
Darren
Will this help holiday home renters with competition down from travel agents?
In my opinion (for what it is worth) I think the answer is it will certainly help home owners renting in Spain - simply because of the sheer number of low cost airlines operating all over Spain, and the fact that holidaymakers needs and requirements are changing.. gone are the day of holidaymakers wanting to book an over crowded hotel.
What do you think though?
Darren
the figures are quite incredible for holidays being put together by individuals - I heard it's 63% now....it's the package holidays that are suffering....I believe it's mainly the 18-30's still using packages for the boozing & parties...which is not[/b] the market we are aiming for.
So I do think the answers are completely correct - it's the marketing!
To prove this theory - whilst we are considering selling one of our houses I have ignored it's marketing - our other house only has 2 weeks left for next summer - the other one is being totally overlooked at the moment! You have to work at it even if they are on excellent sites like h-r.com.
So I do think the answers are completely correct - it's the marketing!
To prove this theory - whilst we are considering selling one of our houses I have ignored it's marketing - our other house only has 2 weeks left for next summer - the other one is being totally overlooked at the moment! You have to work at it even if they are on excellent sites like h-r.com.
Marketing for owners has become more difficult for a number of reasons; In the UK alone they are nearly half a million people who own holiday homes in the sun.
So realistically, you have additional competition there. The other problem is that they are soo many different rental marketing companies / websites out there, it is difficult to choose the right one.
The problem you have is one site might be great at generating renters for one person, and the same site might not generate anything at all for another.
It's a balancing act - finding a number of popular sites on the internet with marketing in regional and local newspapers, post cards in shop windows and most importantly 'word of mouth'
Darren
So realistically, you have additional competition there. The other problem is that they are soo many different rental marketing companies / websites out there, it is difficult to choose the right one.
The problem you have is one site might be great at generating renters for one person, and the same site might not generate anything at all for another.
It's a balancing act - finding a number of popular sites on the internet with marketing in regional and local newspapers, post cards in shop windows and most importantly 'word of mouth'
Darren