EDITOR'S COMMENT
Urban Living Festival featured its first-ever dedicated short-term rental strand last week as part of a diverse agenda with 140 speakers representing verticals from across the travel, hospitality and real estate spectrum. On the STR strand specifically, we delved into key topics such as the regulatory landscape, technological innovation, consolidation and investment, and both current and future booking behaviour - from which you can now read our key takeaways here.
With leading industry figures speaking on behalf of companies such as Smart City Policy Group to Sykes Holiday Cottages, Key Data, Bob W, Blueground and RemoteLock, it is evident that our industry is at a significant inflection point. On one hand, the sector is being threatened by disproportionate regulation and seemingly being scapegoated for an affordable housing shortage, and on the other hand, investors see the potential of innovative businesses catering to the evolving needs of guests, as reflected by large-scale funding rounds for operators such as Bob W and Blueground earlier this year.
Giving the short-term rental sector its own stage at ULF alongside hotels, extended stay and more is an important recognition for this segment as an integral part of the tourism and hospitality ecosystem in its own right. It is a sign of the accelerating convergence between the verticals that will create a blended lodging offering for travellers of the future and make prospective guests more likely to try out alternative accommodation types for the first time, thereby driving heightened guest expectations and fuelling new behavioural trends.
• After ULF, my next event is The District Show in Barcelona this week [25-27 September], when 12,000+ representatives from over 30 countries across the global real estate investment landscape are expected to attend. If you're also planning to be there and would like to discuss collaborative opportunities, do drop me a message at my email below.
• We're also just over a week away from our webinar in partnership with Track [1 October] on 'Making market data the core of your innovation strategy'. Sign up now at no cost here.
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