Perennially one of the busiest months for self-catering accommodation providers, what should you expect in August in terms of bookings?¹
Most guests will book short breaks
We’d expect most guests to book short breaks of 0-6 nights. However, around 40% of your bookings should be for stays of at least one week:
Last-minute bookings are declining
We know the majority of guests like to leave it to the last-minute to book their holidays. However, the number of guests booking at the last-minute² in August is declining. At the same time, more and more guests are being extra organised and booking holidays that start 181+ days in the future:
More than four out of five bookings will be full price
Last year, 83.5% of August bookings were full price bookings. This percentage was exactly the same in August 2014 and had risen from 80.6% of bookings in August 2013. So, it’s unlikely you’ll need to sell many discounted bookings in August, although discounts are a great tool to employ in certain situations. For instance, you might want to get in quick with your guests who’ve enjoyed a fabulous summer stay with you, and reward them with a tempting voucher if they book another stay. It’s up to you!
