Demand is picking up for vacation rentals in the North America, Mexico and Caribbean markets and conversion rates are soaring.
Those trends were revealed by LeisureLink, which tracks queries for vacation rentals, timeshare resorts and boutique hotels from online travel agencies, including Travelocity, Orbitz and Expedia; the GDSs; and LeisureLink's own ABetterStay.com.
The conversion rate in vacation lodging sales in December 2010 increased 14% over the prior month, November 2010, and 44% over December 2009, LeisureLink says.
"This trend indicates that consumers are shifting from shopping to buying," says Steve Reich, the company's senior vice president of sales. "The combination of increased conversion and demand will result in revenue growth and guest acquisition opportunities."
The Gulf Coast, the Rockies ski regions and Hawaii saw especially strong conversion spikes, LeisureLink says.
LeisureLink gauges consumer queries across its Major Market Access platform, which provides supplier distribution through GDSs, OTAs, wholesalers and ABetterStay.com.