|
Monday 1 June, 2020
TOP STORY
Was Sweden's Covid-19 lockdown a gamble?
In this feature, we examine the impact of the Sweden's lockdown policy on its short-term rental industry as the country records one of the highest death per capita rates in the world.
If you missed our last newsletter....check out the stories below:
1. Expedia to phase out short-term multifamily business
2. 'Travel Tinder' app Holiday Swap wins lifestyle award
3. Airbnb launches Get Behind the Mask campaign
4. City Relay Solutions sets up SafeStay programme
Editor's comment
01•06•20 Welcome to the latest ShortTermRentalz newsletter!
• At the start of the global lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Sweden was initially held up as a beacon of hope that life could resume with some sense of normality despite the pandemic, but as time has passed, it now has one of the highest death per capita rates in the world.
The country has meandered from the path set out by its European counterparts and neighbours by adopting a lighter-touch approach to its lockdown policy. While it has adopted measures such as closing senior high schools and banning gatherings of more than 50 people, it is advising, rather than ordering, over-70s to stay indoors if they are experiencing Covid-related symptoms, workers to work from home and people to avoid all non-essential travel, while masks and other protective equipment are not mandatory unless you are a carer.
In my latest feature piece for ShortTermRentalz, I examined the impact of Sweden's lockdown policy on the country's short-term rental industry in terms of bookings and occupancy rate. At the same time, I analysed how the country's economy has been affected during the crisis and whether this relaxed approach risked exacerbating an already-high death rate.
However, there was a more positive outlook for the upturn of the vacation rental industry this week. After we reported on booking increases and rises in occupancy rate in the United States over the last month, it has now been revealed that UK bookings spiked by 716 per cent between April and May, while on a global scale, global bookings rose by 127 per cent according to AirDNA.
This suggests travellers are still yearning to travel after months of lockdown, even if they will have to make more cautious choices in the location and type of accommodation they want to stay in. Domestic tourism is already seeing an upsurge in interest for staycations in drivable, rural destinations where social distancing measures are easier to adhere to, and this trend looks set to continue until at least the end of this year.
• After our first webinar in our Urban Living series ahead of URBAN LIVING FESTIVAL 2020: stay-live-work on 25-26 November at Tobacco Dock London, you can still register here for the second session this Wednesday 3 June at 14:00 BST. The session on "The future of work: offices, coworking and business travel" will again be hosted by IHM editor-in-chief George Sell, who will be joined by Giles Fuchs of Office Space in Town, Fidelity International's Carol Neil, Nuveen's Jack Sibley and Sean Worker of T5 Strategies.
If you have a story you want us to tell the industry, please click here and get involved with the community by joining our ShortTermRentalz LinkedIn group here.
Paul Stevens, news editor
paul@internationalhospitality.media
For more information and sponsorship / advertising opportunities, please get in touch with us.
OUR EVENTS
|
|
|
|
|
International Hospitality Media is the premier specialist in online publishing; conference, exhibition and events, and advisory services for niche growth sectors of the hospitality industry. The company publishes three industry-leading b2b websites - BoutiqueHotelNews.com and ServicedApartmentNews.com and ShortTermRentalz.com which keep their respective sectors up to speed with news, comment and opinion.
Our conference experience spans four continents and covers high growth segments including boutique, lifestyle and hybrid hotels, serviced apartments / aparthotels and extended stay, and vacation rental. Our events are renowned for their intense focus and attract quality industry leaders, brands and independents, providing unparalleled networking and learning opportunities. We also organise bespoke educational events and investor breakfasts to bring owners, operators and investors together.
'Providing an inspirational community to connect people through world class online platforms and events'
© 2020 International Hospitality Media. All Rights Reserved.
|
|
Confirmation of your subscription opts you in to receive future updates on the event listed above, in addition to relevant communications from our partners. You can opt out at any time.
|
|
##footer##