EDITOR'S COMMENT
• It was a defining week for the global short-term / vacation rental sector as more than 2,500 industry professionals gathered at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando to discuss and debate the pressing issues around at the moment, from M&A and investments to AI, advocacy and data and revenue management.
I was excited to moderate a session on 'Gaining a Global Perspective' alongside Melanie Brown [Key Data], Matt Varabkanich [Cleveland Research] and Jacobie Olin [C2G Advisors]. Read my write-up of the session here as we covered everything from trends and predictions to a micro / macro outlook of the markets in Europe and the United States.
One of the most captivating sessions of the conference saw David Pavelko, global travel business development at Google, introduce his company's new price comparisons feature as part of its holiday / vacation rental search experience, building on Google's existing offering for hotels and flights. It was fascinating to get an in-depth look at how Google is boosting visibility for its vacation rental product and it reflects how search engines / OTAs are prioritising enhancing consumer booker confidence and streamlining the travel planning process, even if Airbnb is going its own way with its inventory and price comparison updates.
A VRMA International Conference is always a reason for excitement at reconnecting with familiar faces and networking with new contacts, and the 2023 edition did not disappoint. If you didn't catch our head of growth, Jordan Ashford, or I there, contact us at my email below or at jordan@internationalhospitality.media to discuss further opportunities for collaboration.
• Join us for our latest webinar tomorrow [31 October] as we host an Urban Living overview of the Middle East & Africa [MEA] market. The session will feature leaders from One Perfect Stay, Silkhaus, mr.alfred and Knight Frank. Book your no-cost virtual seat here.
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