How do tourism destinations use vacation rental data?

November 9, 2022
2 minute read

Occupancy by Date

  • Police Departments – to determine what levels of police department presence are needed throughout the year
  • Businesses – to determine when staff is needed the most
  • Event planning – to determine when is there extra capacity for new events
  • Economics – determine how events impact citywide occupancy

Occupancy Chart Insights

Weekend occupancy is much higher than occupancy during the week. The weekend of June 9-11 was at 90% occupancy as a film festival and biker rally were happening.

Use Cases

Occupancy by Area

  • City Planning – determine what neighborhoods have the highest occupancy
  • Police Departments – plan for where more calls are expected
  • Destinations – decide which areas to highlight in marketing collateral

Occupancy by Area Insights

In the next 30 days, beachfront occupancy will be 61%, which is about 7% higher than interior areas. It is clear resources should be focused around the beach areas.

Supply

  • City Planning – shows which neighborhoods have the most rentals
  • Regulations – shows where enforcement of licensing and regulations is needed most
  • Destinations – helps City understand changes in revenue over time

Supply Insights: Revenue and guest visitation should be increasing dramatically. Also, Corpus Christi rentals are centered in Central City and North Beach. The neighborhoods may need different regulations or approaches than others.

Ready to see Key Data for your tourism destination?

Revenue Forecasting

KPIs like occupancy, rates, revenue, and supply help destinations anticipate revenue from their accommodations tax, which helps with budgeting and planning.

Because RevPAR and supply are increasing over time, tax revenues should also be increasing. This shows that the economic impact of vacation rentals in Austin, TX is increasing.

Marketing Campaigns

Data on when people are arriving, where they’re traveling from, and when they’re booking their vacations will increase the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. We’ll illustrate this with a three-step example.

Step 1

When do you want more people to visit your destination? Peak seasons are usually packed with visitors so it can be helpful to promote shoulder or off-season travel.

Spring and summer are popular times in Port Aransas. September and October occupancy is low despite the weather making it a great time to travel there.

Step 2

Where do travelers come from for stays at that time of year? The travel interests and schedules of others in those markets are likely similar to current visitors.

Last fall, the top three feeder markets for Port Aransas during October and November were Austin, San Antonio, and Houston.

Step 3

How far out do visitors plan their trips at that time of year? Knowing when current travelers plan their trips will help you get in front of people at the right time. Notice in the chart below that last fall, visitors started booking for October and November stays during July and August. This is a prime time to get in front of potential travelers.

Last fall, visitors starting booking for October and November stays during July and August. That’s a great time to get in front of potential travelers!

Now you have a data-driven campaign plan:

  1. Your goal is to increase visitation during September and October.
  2. Most current visitors come from large cities in Texas so that’s a good target audience.
  3. Most current visitors start planning their fall trips during the summer so that’s when your collateral should get in front of them.

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