Vrbo Launches Fast Start Program to Fuel Early Success of New Hosts
March 29 2021 - 07:30AM
Business Wire
Hosts join platform where new properties earned
50 percent more than other travel sites Successful Fast Start pilot
run during pandemic in response to influx of hosts joining Vrbo
Vrbo ®, an Expedia Group company, today announces Fast Start, a
new program that increases the visibility of new properties in the
first 90 days and displays a review score based on reviews from
other travel sites. Vrbo performed well last year and individual
property owners who joined Vrbo in 2020 made an average of almost
US$6,000 per property or 50 percent more than other travel
sites.1
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Any Superhost or host with a 4.5+ review rating and who has
earned more than US$3,000 in the last year is eligible for Fast
Start. New properties across all vacation rental segments and
brands — from individual owners to multi-property accounts — will
display a ‘New to Vrbo’ badge for 90 days and feature its review
score based on reviews from other travel sites. During this time,
the new property will have an elevated position in sort, and new
hosts will receive dedicated, personal support. The program begins
with a virtual kick-off call from a Vrbo expert for seamless
onboarding and a property does not have to be exclusive to Vrbo.
The program launches today in the United States and will roll out
globally in the coming months.
“In 2020, new Vrbo homes earned more than new properties on
other travel sites. We are seeing great consumer demand on our
site, and this presents an opportunity for new hosts wanting to
join us. With Fast Start, new hosts join a trusted global vacation
rental brand whilst keeping their hard-earned review score, and
receive increased visibility, to set them up for early success on
our platform,” said Cyril Ranque, President, Travel Partners Group,
Expedia Group.
Vrbo piloted the program with 1,600 U.S. based hosts who
recently came from other sites and wanted a quick way to ramp up
their bookings. The impact of the Fast Start program for each
property was positive including:
- 25% increase in bookings;
- 50% increase in booked nights;
- 140% increase in gross booking value. 2
Jeff Hurst, President of Vrbo, commented, “Alongside our hosts,
Vrbo has set a high benchmark in vacation rentals for over 25
years. We have offered travelers a memorable vacation rental
experience while giving our hosts access to a whole-home platform
to grow their business. There is no doubt that vacation rentals are
leading the travel rebound and 2021 has been our best start to a
year in the U.S. We want professional hosts to be able to join us
quickly and seamlessly as we continue on this exciting
journey.”
In 2020, Vrbo worked with hosts to encourage responsible travel
during the pandemic, which is now reaping long term benefits for
the vacation rental industry. In March last year, Vrbo encouraged
hosts to provide credits to redeem when the traveler felt safe, or
was able, to travel again. At the time, almost 95% of Vrbo hosts
opted into this program. Vrbo also included a ‘local laws’
functionality where hosts can see local laws relevant to them in
each region through Vrbo’s partner portal Discovery Hub. Vrbo also
partnered with NoiseAware, a wireless noise monitoring service that
notifies hosts and property managers when noise levels reach or
exceed an appropriate level.
For more information, please visit Fast Start at Vrbo.
1 Based on public information seen by 03/20/2021. 2 Pilot
started December 2020-Feb 2021. All US properties. Comparison
between eligible properties using Fast Start versus eligible
properties not using Fast Start.
About Vrbo
In 1995, Vrbo introduced a new way for people to travel
together, pairing homeowners with families and friends looking for
places to stay. We were grounded in one purpose: To give people the
space they need to drop the distractions of everyday life and
simply be together. Since then, we've grown into a global community
of homeowners and travelers, with unique properties around the
world. Vrbo makes it easy and fun to book cabins, condos, beach
houses and every kind of space in between.
Vrbo is part of Expedia Group and offers homeowners and property
managers exposure to over 750 million visits to Expedia Group sites
each month. To learn more, visit www.vrbo.com.
© 2021 Vrbo, an Expedia Group company. All rights reserved.
Vrbo, HomeAway, the Vrbo logo, and the HomeAway logo are trademarks
of HomeAway.
About Expedia Group
Expedia Group (NASDAQ: EXPE) powers travel for everyone,
everywhere through our global platform. Driven by the core belief
that travel is a force for good, we help people experience the
world in new ways and build lasting connections. We provide
industry-leading technology solutions to fuel partner growth and
success, while facilitating memorable experiences for travelers.
Expedia Group's family of brands includes: Brand Expedia®,
Hotels.com®, Expedia® Partner Solutions, Vrbo®, Egencia®, trivago®,
Orbitz®, Travelocity®, Hotwire®, Wotif®, ebookers®, CheapTickets®,
Expedia Group™ Media Solutions, Expedia Local Expert®,
CarRentals.com™, and Expedia Cruises™.
Expedia is a registered trademark of Expedia, Inc., or its
affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or
product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of
their respective owners.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210329005135/en/
PR Contact Jennifer Cole Director Lodging, Industry
Relations, Global jencole@expediagroup.com
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