For the time being, the yuletide rush keeps Hawaii vacation rentals in the background, but that doesn’t mean owners should take the holidays off, too.
Instead of writing your customers off as strictly summer travelers, push through with the mantra, “Maui, wow me.”
Here are five quick tips for raising your profile during winter:
1. Market to smaller groups. Think honeymooners, seniors, snowbirds. While the parents of school-aged children won’t be available to take off in February, the newlyweds will.
2. Build incentives. Try a buy-four-nights-get-a-third-night-free package and watch your bookings grow.
3. If you own multiple properties, push the smaller ones first. While travelers aim for the space of larger homes during summer, winter vacationers are likely to take shorter trips with smaller parties. The high-rise condo with oceanfront balcony might suit their immediate needs more than a seven-bedroom villa.
4. Go after executive travelers. Yes, companies do business in Hawaii (Jealous much?). Entice expense account workers who have to stay in paradise for extended periods. They will likely favor the comforts of home–a kitchen for “home-cooked” meals, for example–and a place for family or a spouse to crash on the tail end of project launches.
5. Stay on top of local events. From humpback whale watching to the Sony Open, local events spur travelers into action. And a vacation home owner hip to the area scene is sure to be noticed and counted on as a resource for other advice, like where to find the best malasadas. Plant the seed and they will come.
