Prepare your rental for international tourists

Vacation rentals are one of the preferred lodging options for international tourists, as they often seek greater independence and like to move from place to place, rather than staying just one. Attracting foreign tourists is a good way to ensure a steady income for your vacation rental. Do you want to know what details you should take care of? In this guide, we will tell you.

Vacation rentals for international tourists: is it worth it?

Although you may have understood how to cater to domestic tourists, the truth is that international tourists often have different travel habits than domestic ones.

The vacation rental sector is one of the most used by the former, as it is a form of travel that is widespread throughout the world and to which many are already accustomed. Vacation rentals catering to tourists provide foreign tourists more flexibility in how they enjoy their stay and allow them to travel in larger groups, while also saving on costs during their vacation.

If you are a vacation rental owner or manager, you know this. The differences with domestic tourism are significant, mainly because of the language and cultural barrier. However, if your vacation rental is in a hotspot for international travelers, these tips on how to make their stay more enjoyable will help you get more bookings in the future and secure a reliable source of income!

6 Ways to Target Your Vacation Rental to International Tourists

While this doesn’t mean saying no to local tourists, these simple tips and tricks will win the approval of your foreign visitors.

1. Advertise on international vacation rental platforms

Vacation rental websites such as Airbnb, Vrbo, Expedia, Booking.com or HomeToGo receive millions of visitors every day. Once you have optimized your listings for better results, making your vacation rental more attractive to foreign tourists is very easy.

Register on local or market-specific platforms for example. Many large portals have secondary websites for specific markets, such as Abritel or PAP Vacances in France, Tuivillas, Atraveo or E-Domizil in German-speaking countries. By translating your listing and posting it secondary websites you can attract more guests from other countries and reach millions of users.

2. Translate your ads into multiple languages

Use simple and concise language so that translations into different languages don’t unnatural You can invest in a powerful machine translation tool to make sure there are no errors in the wording. Although many portals like Airbnb have built-in translators, these are not always reliable and can lead to misunderstandings.

3. Get close to their culture

Putting yourself in your guests’ shoes is one of the essential keys to understanding how to improve your business. Find out what items they might be missing when they travel. By providing simple things, guests will notice and appreciate the detail. For example: having different varieties of tea, coffee, or mate in the kitchen; comfortable slippers for staying at home; chargers and adapters for different types of plugs, etc.

4. Prepare a guidebook of the local attractions

Recommendations from a local are always welcome, and who better to have first-hand knowledge of places to visit, where to exchange money, rules for parking or using public transport, where to buy transport passes or museum tickets, places to shop or the history of the place than you, the host. Include tips on where to find the best souvenirs, where to eat out, or about the holidays taking place during your guests’ stay (such as religious processions, local festivals, or sporting events of interest).

All this information has its place in the Smoobu Guest Guide, where you can create your own personal guide with the information you want and digitally, easy to read interface.

5. Include lots of photos

If something attracts the eye, all the better! International tourists are looking for vacation rentals different from their place of origin, so don’t hesitate to show the best side of your vacation rental business, your rural home or how beautiful your city is. Pictures don’t need to be translated!

6. Offer credit card or app payment

Offering an international and widely used payment method is the best option, as your guests will be familiar with it and it will be very easy for them to pay for their stay online. In Smoobu you will find integrations with the best payment applications on the market, to make your management even easier.

Prepare your vacation home for international tourists now

By attracting international guests to your vacation rental, you can easily fill your booking calendar and improve your occupancy rate. Vacation rental software like Smoobu’s Channel Manager is the perfect complement to easily manage a large number of bookings in one central place.

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