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Meeting Traveler, Operator Demand through Promotions as COVID-19 Unfolds

 

Just in time for summer travel, Kigo has improved the ability for property managers to set up and manage discounts and promotions to attract more business.

Kigo has created a dedicated section where channel-focused promotions can now be configured, managed and assigned to listings through integration with Booking.com Promotions API. Now property managers can assign promotions to the listings of their choice during the period of time of their choice. They will be synchronized with Booking.com promotions and assigned to listings directly in Kigo.

Self-managed discounted offers and deals can be created to target specific customers and general travelers as the vacation and short-term rental industry looks to emerge from COVID-19. The solution adapts to traveler preferences and creates an opportunity for property managers to increase bookings based on their needs.

Kigo Promotions arrives at a time when travel bookings are rebounding after significantly dropping off early in the pandemic.

“We’re seeing early signs that people are starting to book travel again,” said Laia Puchal, Connectivity Partner Business Manager at Booking.com. “One way to help you attract these guests is via Promotions and particularly mobile rates. Promotions increase properties’ visibility, can be activated and deactivated whenever you want and are a great way of bringing in more revenue.”

Promotions give properties control of special booking parameters

Offering relevant and competitive pricing will be important when demand picks up again. Special prices, especially for mobile users and business guests, will be pushed to the property managers, together with country rates.

Six promotion types have been synchronized with Booking.com to meet booking preferences for a variety of travelers. An important offering is an ability for property managers to tailor deals directed at mobile users, who are more likely to make and hold last-minute reservations because of restrictions of COVID-19.

Other offerings include a basic promotion as well as discounts for early bookings, mobile users, country and geo, and for business travelers. With most promotions, Booking.com will determine guest eligibility based on how property managers define the parameters.

The complete list of promotions:

Basic promotionThe promotion is based on the stay dates of the reservations “only” and without being tied to another parameter.

Early booker promotionManagers can offer a discount based on a defined number of days that best suits the property targeted at guests who book in advance. The promotion is an opportunity for properties to offer a discount for bookings a few months away in anticipation of the country emerging from the COVID-19 crisis.

Last-minute promotion Properties can set a special rate based on the number of days before check-in to attract travelers who book at the last minute. For example, a property may offer a deal for checking in 5-7 days after the reservation is made to fill available accommodations. The promotion targets travelers who want a quick getaway.

Mobile rate promotion The promotion addresses guests that book through a mobile device and/or application within Booking.com. Many last-minute bookings are made through mobile devices. Booking.com says that as local demand increases, 74% of bookings will come from a mobile phone. By adding a mobile rate to your property, visibility increases with these customers.

Country rate/ Geo rate promotion Discounts can be offered based on where the guest is booking. The promotion is designed to increase post-COVID domestic bookings.  When demand picks up on Booking.com, the first wave of travelers is expected to be domestic. Adding a domestic country rate to your property can attract customers living in your home country.

Business booker – The promotion targets business travelers, as defined by Booking.com.

Domestic business trips have begun to pick up, and a business rate will be more desirable to travelers.

Add visibility with benefits of Booking.com promotions

The solution makes it simpler for vacation and short-term rental operators to manage promotions and gain increased visibility without going onto a channel’s website.

Deals within Kigo Promotions will appear high on search results to help property managers generate revenue and fill rooms, especially during off-peak travel times. Kigo’s booking statement will reflect the corresponding discount once receiving a reservation where a given promotion is applied.

Pep Vicens Llobera of Homevillas360 has already seen the benefits of Kigo Promotions. Llobera, who manages 80 active properties that are piloting the new feature, has seen an uptick in reservations since implementing the program.

“Using Booking.com's mobile promotion has worked very well for us,” he said. “Because of its success, we are lowering the discount 5% so that we can offer other savings, and realize the benefits of other promotion types.”

Booking.com promotions provide several benefits for property managers, including:

Getting more bookings − Deals appear in search results, so property managers can attract more visitors to their page to generate more reservations.

Increasing revenue − Many guests initially attracted by the offer often book non-discounted rates for other room/rate types.

Filling rooms year-round − Property managers can increase occupancy by targeting dates where they need more bookings. Minimum length of stay deals help secure higher-value bookings.

Staying flexible − Early bookers and last-minute deals allow property managers to manage occupancy based on their business needs. Because Booking.com allows properties to show prices up to 16 months in advance, property managers can develop strategies to attract early bookers who are re-adjusting travel plans by setting an early booker rate.

Targeting specific markets − Property managers can choose specific channels to target new markets. With Basic Deals, they can time the promotion to fit the time zone of the target market. Domestic demand will be the first to pick up once countries start re-opening. Country rates can help property managers attract domestic guests.

Standing out from the competition − With Basic Deals, the property will appear higher in the search results when guests are sorting by price.

Reducing cancellations − About a third of all bookings at Booking.com are now made with a mobile device. Forty percent of all smartphone bookings are made at the last minute and have a low cancellation rate. With Last-Minute Deals, properties can attract these customers.

Last Minute and Early Bird promotions

During these unstable times, in order to help property managers get back some control and strengthen your recovery strategy, Kigo is expanding the functionality for promotions even further. Kigo clients can now apply Early Bird discounts to Airbnb bookings; this will help keep rates competitive and attract those travelers looking to secure their stay.  Kigo clients can now also benefit from applying “Last Minute Discounts” to Airbnb listings. With travel restrictions and lockdowns in place for many, not everyone can plan ahead, so it´s also important to have the flexibility and the right pricing to pull in those last-minute bookings.

Learn more about Kigo Promotions with Booking.com at https://partner.booking.com/en-gb/solutions/promotions, and align your promotions with the Recovery Toolkit that Booking.com has prepared for property managers.

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