#data incoming... 💡 📊 🇬🇧 Amongst our Key Data clients, we've seen the pace of sales for the #UK #STR industry pick up since we checked last week 🌟 . From 1 Jan - 16 Jan (compared to 2025), we're +5.4% in bookings for arrivals confirmed to stay in the UK. So good news?? However this is an average, and the data tells a different story when you dive into regions and different sizes of properties. A short #summary, let's look at country level first for all sleeps: #UK: +5.4%, #England: +3.8%, #Wales: +6.9% and #Scotland: +15.2%. Plus, there are further variations at a regional level; #Highlands: -13%, #Northumberland: -0.6%, #Lake District: +0.8%, #Devon: +3.4%, #Dumfries and Galloway: +4.7%, #Pembrokeshire: +2.5%.. so where are you based and how do your sales compare to the local market?? And let's go one level deeper. We took a look at the #UK to see if the year on year sales differed by sleeps... and it does 🧠 🔍 #1&2 beds: +8.3%, #3&4 beds, +1.6% and #5+ bedrooms: -2.1%.

“How to Get More Direct Bookings Without Selling a Kidney Let’s face it: OTA fees are like glitter—everywhere, impossible to remove, and somehow still showing up in your financials six months later. But fear not, noble glamping warrior. You can get more direct bookings without maxing out your overdraft or sacrificing your dignity. Here’s how the smart (and slightly unhinged) operators are doing it: 🧠 1. Make Your Website Less of a Crime Scene If your booking page looks like it was built during a power cut in 2007, guests will run—straight to Airbnb. Fix the fonts. Kill the Comic Sans. Make the “Book Now” button bigger than your ego. And yes, it needs to work on phones. Even the cracked ones. 📣 2. Tell Guests Why Direct Is Sexy “Booking direct helps us invest in quality, pay staff fairly, and avoid selling our souls to commission-hungry overlords.” Say it loud. Say it often. Say it like you mean it. Bonus points if you include a meme. 🎁 3. Bribe Them (But Make It Classy) Early check-in, free firewood, a bottle of local wine, or a llama cuddle—whatever fits your vibe. Just make sure it’s exclusive to direct bookings. No need to undercut OTAs. Just out-charm them. 📨 4. Use Your Confirmation Emails Like a Cult Recruiter Guests who booked via OTA? They’re already yours. Now gently indoctrinate them: “Next time, book direct. We’ll love you more. And you’ll get free marshmallows.” It’s emotional manipulation, but ethical. 📱 5. Stop Posting Sunsets and Start Posting Strategy Your social media isn’t just for vibes—it’s for conversion. Showcase your story, your standards, and your direct-only perks. And for the love of glamping, link to your own site. Not the OTA. Not your cousin’s Etsy. Your. Own. Site. 🧾 6. Make Booking Less Like Filing a Tax Return If your calendar requires a decoder ring and a blood sample, guests will bail. Test it. Simplify it. And remove any steps that make people cry. 🤝 7. Collaborate With Local Legends (Not Just Your Mate Dave) Partner with the vineyard, the paddleboard crew, or the cheese wizard down the lane.

Everything is routed in guest experience from the first good morning to the welcome home email. So why settle for upside down pods with their limited space and uncomfortable beds? This 3 min read.... posits a radical idea - guest experience matters

As I wake up I hear the howling wind outside and my first thoughts go to the recently repaired canvas roof on one of our units. I then check the weather reports, it is going to get worse before it gets better. What can I do I have been here before? 1. Finish my morning coffee, not a lot will change in the next 30 minutes. 2. Get into my wind protection clothes and go an inspect. 3. Check every guy rope, tighten any loose, flapping canvas is more likely to cause damage. Repair any guy ropes that look damaged. I did this late last year so I should be OK. 4. Check the areas repaired, I’ve got some more ‘type a’ tape so I might add another layer as reinforcement. 5. Double check hot tub lids are secured they have a habit in the past of turning into huge frisbees. 6. Finally make sure any item that could blow around is secured. Then time to hunker down and wait for the storm to pass.

https://www.holidayparkscene.com/evolving-face-of-outdoor-luxury/