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Senior travelers are a target not to be forgotten if your vacation rental, guesthouse or guest room is suitable. Objective senior vacations: discover on Smoobu how to entice seniors with your property and conquer this target in 5 key points!

Senior travelers: a target not to be forgotten

Once your listing is published on the booking websites such as Airbnb, your vacation rental is open to all types of travelers. Whether they are couples, families, friends, active people on business trips or even seniors, all these people can book your vacation rental.

However, there are tips and tricks to appeal to specific target groups. Here we will focus on seniors. First things first, how are they defined? There is no law that defines the legal age of senior citizens, but we can say that one becomes a senior citizen around the age of 60.

This group is a target to be privileged to develop and reinforce your short-term rental activity:

Are available all year round
Have purchasing power/holiday budgets
Are not only fond of discovering all corners of the USA, but also the world.
Prepare your seasonal rental for senior vacations

How to target senior travelers with your vacation rental in 4 steps?

Highlight your facilities and amenities

List in detail the features and amenities that will appeal to seniors in your rental listings and on your own booking website:

Your essential amenities: linens, towels, kitchen equipment, television, bookshelves, board games etc. In short, everything that will allow your travelers to have a pleasant stay.
Your unique facilities: swimming pool, balcony, garden, hot tub… Highlight everything that stands out from the crowd and that could arouse the interest of your senior target to make a reservation.
Your practical services: do you have a parking space? Indicate it. If your vacation rental is on one level, highlight this asset.
Nearby amenities: list the activities and points of interest located around your vacation rental with the associated distances to create a favorite! Also remember to indicate the nearest supermarkets, bakeries, restaurants and pharmacies.

Open your reservation calendar in advance

When do seniors go on vacation? In most cases, they will prefer to go out of season at the best price. Indeed, seniors are much more flexible than working people and can leave at any time.

In some cases, however, they will like to take their grandchildren on vacation with them and will therefore book during school vacations. In any case, this target will allow you to fill your potential slack periods.

As owners or managers of short term rentals, you should think about opening your booking calendar well in advance. Indeed, although some may be more spontaneous, seniors tend to book their stay in advance. Also, think about adjusting your prices according to the period in order to benefit from a good booking/price ratio.

Offer a great traveler journey during to senior travelers

Seniors will like to have a great travel journey at key stages of their trip:

At the time of booking: transparency and details in the ad are expected. Quick answers in the case of question(s)
Between the booking and the stay: travelers may have questions
Welcome at the venue/check-in: although self-service check-in is becoming more common, a personal welcome can enhance the traveler experience
During the stay: stay alert in case your travelers encounter problems or have questions
Check-out: talk to your guests about their stay and thank them for choosing you.

The traveler experience is important because it is what your guests will remember. So making a simple but effective impression should be the watchword for a positive experience and good reviews.

Offer enticing activities

Seniors will emphasize leisure activities in particular (39%). So don’t hesitate to share all your good ideas in your Guest Guide/welcome booklet:

Your favorite addresses: your favorite restaurants, your favorite cafés, your stores to bring back nice regional souvenirs and specialties
Your favorite activities: boat rentals, hikes, immersive city walks, guided tours etc.
Your cultural recommendations: museums, theaters, cinema, exhibition centers etc.

In summary: bet on the senior travelers

This is a flexible group of travelers. Indeed, they are available 365 days a year
Make sure you offer them comfort, security and a nice welcome
Create a bond and offer a genuine travel experience
List all your amenities in your ads/on your website
Offer them expert advice: exhibitions, tours, visits etc.