In the alternative accommodations sector, technology is the backbone powering players of all stripes, from large online travel agencies to niche and local channels.
Property managers are looking to technology to diversify their distribution, improve their marketing mix and get their brand name out there – all in the name of staying ahead of the competition.
But that wasn’t always the case, according to Vanessa de Souza Lage, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Rentals United, speaking during PhocusWire Pulse: Rentals on the Rise.
“Six years ago, I was going to conferences and had to explain what channel management is,” de Souza Lage says.
“Fast-forward six years later and everybody has a channel manager and property management system and now also a revenue management system. If you don’t have those three core vacation rental tech platforms under your belt it’s extremely hard to compete and extremely hard to do your job well.”
Technology has also enabled to sector to professionalize, de Souza Lage continues, but more work needs to be done around putting standards in place in certain areas such as safety.
She also explains the challenges of operating property management systems at a global level, the “very, very crowded” software market, startups to keep an eye on and if the sector will hit a tech saturation point.
Watch the full interview with PhocusWire’s Jill Menze below.
PhocusWire Pulse: Rentals On The Rise - Tech’s vital role in a sector’s ascendency