Home Swapping for Travellers

The shifting priorities of travellers could benefit or affect holiday homeowners.

The global home exchange platform, Love Home Swap shares immerging trends on the post-lockdown travel industry. Reports show that there is a noticeable boom in bookings as the UK Government announced the easing of travel restrictions from July 6.

Holidaymakers are reportedly emerging from stay-at-home orders and lockdown restrictions with sever caution and different priorities on travel plans. A strong 22 per cent still do not want to travel due to health concerns surrounding Covid-19 and overall safety.

Respondents also cited that a top priority in their accommodations would be hygiene. More than 80 per cent claimed it would be "important" or very important" that the location took extra measures to ensure cleanliness and sanitation.

Affordability will also play as a key factor among many travellers and booking future holidays. Results show that:

·   One in five have a lesser budget to spend on the next holiday.

·   One in ten will spend less on travel for the following months.

·   One in ten believe their travels will lessen compared to the past.

Love Home Swap managing director, Celia Pronto believes that a different kind of traveller is arising post-lockdown.

"We are seeing through the rise of agreed swaps on our platform that there is a strong desire to 'save the summer' and make the most of the easing of lockdown, but the consumer we are dealing with now is very different. The affordability factor bodes well for home-sharing platforms like ours, as we can connect people who swap homes and therefore save on the cost of accommodation."

Half of the respondents in this survey claim they would feel safer travelling within the UK, this sentiment indicates that the 2020 holiday season will be predominantly made of staycations.

Pronto finds that their platform best equipped for this emerging direction.

"Home swapping is a trend that has been in consistent double-digit growth over the past few years, and we had a hunch that the pandemic would accelerate that shift as people look to use their property to improve their lifestyles."

Thus, a large number of homeowners are looking to add more leisure value from their homes. Gardens have seen a vast improvement during the lockdown as some 56% of British gardens have been updated.

The post "Homeowners look to improve work-life balance" covers this study in detail.