5 tips to boost your business!

#1 Last minute bookings are hot, take advantage of this!

We dived into the figures and noticed that last minute bookings are very popular. For example, this summer in Belgium, travelers booked on average 4 days before the start of their holiday, whereas in January this was still about 20 days in advance. In the Netherlands, the difference is even bigger: 4 days this summer versus 27 days in January.

Uncertain and changing travel advice probably plays a major role in this. As an accommodation owner, it is therefore important to respond to this! In what way? Take advantage of last-minute promotions and try to convince more guests to book a stay with you. You can assign a certain discount code in your (Cubilis) Booking Engine for last-minute reservations. You can also set up last-minute promotions on online booking channels (such as Booking.com) to attract extra attention.  

#2 Increase your occupancy rate? Alternative ways of thinking!

Fewer tourists are visiting your region? You are looking for new opportunities to increase your occupancy rate? Then it might be a good idea to think of alternative ways to rent out your available rooms. This way you can not only rent out your rooms as a bedroom but also as::

• Office room: a quiet room where you can work in peace and quiet. Completely covid proof!
• Instruction room: where online fitness lessons or other courses can be recorded or broadcast live.
• Be creative and come up with special arrangements that are in demand nowadays. Attractive meeting packages or unique meeting rooms for example!

#3 Attract local guests!

Since June, tourists have mainly opted for local destinations and preferably still in their own country. In the period before 1 June, 32% of the guests in Belgium were Belgian, as of 1 June this has risen to 59%. Also in the Netherlands we notice an increase from 37% to 50% Dutch people who book a holiday in their own country.

So try to organize extra promotions for local guests, but don't forget to work together with local partners such as Logeren in Vlaanderen, Tabanaa, Tourist Office of your city or province.... Certain OTA's also play a strong role in local tourism, discover all the OTA's that the Cubilis Channel Manager connects with here.

#4 Flexible cancellation policy

Flexibility is appreciated in these uncertain times! The reassurance that cancellations can be easily made (without too much cost) makes online booking easy for doubting travellers. If you want to increase the chance of making a booking, adjust your cancellation policy if necessary. Moreover, you can use these favourable cancellation conditions as an extra selling point. Don't miss the opportunity and communicate clearly about these conditions. Here are a few examples of how you can do this:

• Mention your flexible cancellation policy on your website (on an important page that is frequently visited or as an extra direct booking advantage in the Ratebox).
• Remind the guest of the favourable cancellation conditions during the booking process. In the Cubilis Booking Engine you can give some extra information with the prices of the rooms, cancellation conditions are definitely an option here. You can also briefly mention this information in the description of the rooms.
• Please reassure your guests in the booking confirmation e-mail. This way they look forward to their stay without any worries.

#5 Sell gift vouchers to generate extra revenue

Many travelers are still waiting for safer times to visit busy cities or the classic, popular destinations. Offering gift vouchers can be a solution. You may not be receiving guests at the moment, but you do receive extra sales that will help you through the difficult periods. Backstage Hotel started with Younight, shared this on social media and saw great results, maybe worth a try?

Do you have any questions or comments?

Feel free to contact us or leave us a message using the form below! We will be happy to help you.