Booking.com funds Travel Credits to encourage vacation rental stays in the US

Americans have been making up for missed moments together, with domestic travel spiking significantly as it becomes safe for people to travel once again. To keep the demand flowing, Booking.com is extending summer by funding Travel Credits for US-based travellers who book a stay at a vacation rental anywhere in the US. With only a few weeks of the season left, this investment aims to remind US travellers that there’s still time to enjoy the sunshine. 

20% back in Booking.com Travel Credits

To encourage all Americans to extend their summer vacations, and in turn boost bookings for you, we’re offering 20% back in Travel Credits (up to $150) to US-based travellers who book a vacation rental anywhere in the US. The promotion is applicable to bookings made between 16 August, 2021 - 12 September, 2021 at valid property types - holiday homes, apartments, aparthotels, villas, chalets - using the promo code RENTAL20 for check-in dates before December 31, 2021. The Travel Credits will be issued to the customer’s Booking.com Wallet, and are redeemable for a future trip for one year after being issued. 

The campaign builds on our Welcome Back, America initiative, with a more granular and targeted focus of driving greater demand to our vacation rental partners. With almost half (45%) of Americans preferring to stay in a vacation home or apartment when travelling, this campaign is designed to reward both our partners and their guests.

“Our data shows that as we get back to travel, 75% of Americans are looking forward to meeting up with family and friends after so much time apart, making a vacation rental the ideal type of property to reconnect with plenty of space and amenities,” says Eric Bergaglia, Global Head of Booking.com’s Homes and Apartments Business. “With the 20% Travel Credits, we aim to bring Americans together and make it easier to make up for lost time with loved ones.”

Optimising your listing for an influx in demand

In addition to funding the Travel Credits, we’re targeting US-based travellers with heightened activity across digital media - YouTube ads, social media campaigns, PPC and meta search - that aims to increase awareness of vacation rentals like yours among customers. To make the most of this stimulated demand and attract these bookers, there are a number of ways you can optimise your listing. Along with setting up a domestic price using Country Rates - or tailoring discounts at a more granular level with US State Rates - offering flexible policies and activating mobile and long-stay rates, it’s incredibly important that your availability is set up for success so that your property is visible to potential guests. 

Whether your property is a beach house, mountain cabin, city apartment or remote home, customer demand for alternative accommodations continues to grow. Making sure your content is up to date in the extranet can boost your visibility and help bookers find a property that suits their needs – self-catering, pet-friendly, an entire place. Together, we can make it easier for Americans across the country to reunite with their loved ones and rediscover the places and experiences they have been missing.