Puzzling pattern of winter bookings
My property is small, just four rooms on a Greek island. Our business is all summer holidays, with the season being approximately April - mid October. In ten years, we have had no winter bookings - although there is sunshine, it is not very warm!!
This winter has been very puzzling. The figures are as follows -
Three bookings for November -all cancelled, guests from
Denmark - 4 nights
Egypt - 15 nights
Algeria - 8 nights
December - 14 reservations - 9 cancelled, 5 no shows
Guests from
Russia - 2 (8 and 15 nights)
Turkey - 2 (9, 4)
Algeria - 1 (11)
Czech Republic - 1 (14)
USA - 1 (1)
China - 6 (3,4,1,1,4,3)
France - 1 (1)
January has had 11 bookings so far, with 4 cancelled -
Saudi Arabia - 1
Germany - 1
China - 2
Still showing as OK, the 7 are
Algeria - 2 (11,6)
China - 5 (2,4,5,4,7)
February has 4 bookings to date, with 3 cancelled -
UK - 2 (7,7)
China - 1 (4)
Still showing as OK -
China - 1 (3)
I would be very interested to know if anyone else is experiencing such a complete change in booking patterns over the winter season, or has any idea what may be behind it. And, of course, how to deal with it!!
Thank you.
Hello Margaret nice to have a Greek partner in the forum and especially from a Greek island.
My property is in Oropos and is only available in the summer. I had some cancellations in the summer but very few. Maybe you should change your cancellation policy and have it more strict especially in the winter. I think it's better to have less reservations than to have cancellations.
Hope you find the right solution. Wish you a Prosperous New Year...