EDITOR'S COMMENT
• Any doubts that domestic trips will drop off as travel opens up again this summer are being quickly dispelled by the frenzy of M&A activity we are seeing in the space.
After buying the likes of Abersoch Quality Homes, Best of Suffolk and LHH Scotland in the last year, Sykes Holiday Cottages' "nine figure" acquisition of Forest Holidays and launch of a holiday specialist group are commitments to promoting a UK tourism industry that has seen two summers of unprecedented booking numbers, and more growth is still to come.
It is also recognition of wider travel trends seen across the world where urban dwellers have flocked to nature-based destinations seeking a cathartic break from their hectic lives. The fact that Forest Holidays' “environmentally sensitive” cabins will promote sustainable woodland use and preserve the countryside and biodiversity will especially appeal to travellers that are increasingly conscious of their environmental footprint and travel choices.
• Our ShortTermRentalz webinars are back in full swing in the coming weeks, starting with "Simplify with Ximplifi: Automating vacation rental accounting" in partnership with Ximplifi on Tuesday 19 April [5pm BST]. Join Jesse Ehret [Ximplifi], Taylor Hills [Effortless Rental Group], Evan Wilburn [Hoste] and I as we explore how vacation rental management businesses can automate manual accounting tasks and more - sign up for the no-cost session here.
The following week, I'll be back with another RockSTRz webinar [26 April], exploring "What does brand loyalty mean in the short-term rental space?". Our expert panel includes speakers from Oasis, Marriott, Black Platinum Gold and Thirdhome - sign up for free at this link.
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