News

A New Era, a New Model for the Vacation Rental Industry

September 30, 2008 - Bookt Launches Industry-First Web Platforms to Drive Visibility, Online Bookings and Revenues
MIAMI, FL – Sept 30, 2008 – One of the fastest-growing sectors of the worldwide leisure travel market is the vacation rental industry. In the US alone, it’s already an estimated $63B market and counting. Once relegated to regionality and at the mercy of travel agents and immeasurable word of mouth, vacation rentals have moved into a new era of distribution and visibility thanks to significant demographic and technological shifts within the global lodging industry, and a growing consumer base that demands more choice than ever before. The evolution of the vacation rental industry has been facilitated by a confluence of key drivers and changing market conditions, according to Bookt founder and President, Rob Käll. Käll’s company, which has been more than a year in the making, capitalizes on the industry’s recognition for standardization and consolidation in an increasingly fragmented landscape, and the need for more marketing channels for vacation rentals inventory. The company develops powerful websites that address the needs of vacation unit owners and management companies, and combines these with increased online visibility tools – vital for success in today’s, and indeed tomorrow’s marketplace. There are other players in the arena, but what sets Bookt apart is its comprehensiveness of products. Developed specifically for the global vacation rental industry, the company’s Platform allows for the creation of highly customized Vacation Rental Websites and Portals. Important parts of the solution are the Bookt Control Panel, Bookt Connect and the Bookt Site Widgets. Together they allow for a much greater degree of flexibility in website design, content management and business rules than is currently available with other providers. Importantly, Bookt Connect allows for full integration of client information with virtually every leading management system and GDS. Through its custom websites, Bookt provides a solid platform on which to build a highly successful marketing, sales and visibility strategy for vacation rental units. The company works closely with vacation rental managers, tour operators, developers and larger travel organizations with diverse types of properties and portfolios, to attract and optimize their ideal customer bases far beyond current industry norms. Founded by travel industry, e-commerce and tech professionals steeped in the nuances of the real estate marketplace, Bookt is able to develop web-based strategies and solutions tailored to the unique dynamics of vacation rental properties. Bookt’s bi-industry approach shows a deep and sophisticated understanding of its clients’ needs, targets, and operational aims to better manage inventory, increase efficiency and usability, and of course, drive revenues. “Simply, the Bookt platform is the foundation upon which a successful vacation rental strategy is built. Our services expand on standardized industry capabilities to reconcile consumer-centric searching and effective online bookings, solving a huge problem that has dogged the lodging industry for years,” says Käll. “Bookt’s web solutions integrate valuable consumer data with third-party property management systems and portals, affecting a seamless transition for companies already utilizing a PMS, and are hosted in our scalable datacenter, ensuring centralization and security. In other words, a complete enterprise level turn-key solution .” Bookt’s modus operandi clearly differs from others in the vacation rental eco-system. Its websites are designed to provoke an emotional response from potential customers, presenting them with more features and options to drive better conversion rates. Combined with a focus on expansive property search within each site and search engine optimization (SEO), vacation rental professionals can develop an immediate, and impressive, global web presence that yields tangible results. The way Bookt sees it, the vacation rental industry is on the brink of great expansion. The maturity of new technologies, the emergence of new tourism hubs, the industry’s overall shift to online marketing and the need to turn underutilized real estate holdings into profit centers, has created the need for a new business model and new industry platform for the vacation rental industry - the Bookt platform. For more information about Bookt or to arrange an interview with Rob Käll, please contact Vanessa Horwell at vanessa@thinkinkpr.com or +1.305.776.8817. Success stories, fact sheets and data regarding vacation rental industry trends are available upon request. # # # About Bookt Bookt is a comprehensive web services provider to the global vacation rental industry, delivering seamless integration and turn-key web solutions. Headquartered in the US, the company provides a complete range of services for vacation rental managers, tour operators, developers and larger travel organizations ranging from sophisticated website development, online marketing services, search engine optimization and CRM strategies, to a wide range of domestic and international clients. For more information, please visit www.bookt.com.