The Sawday’s Self-catering Market Report 

A wiser audience, greener travel, saturation point and the tech balancing act

 

After an unstable and unpredictable few years, that ranged from lockdown to the post-pandemic staycation boom, 2023 finds the UK self-catering market appearing to return to normality, but factors more permanent than the pandemic’s heavy yet comparatively brief impact are fuelling deeper change. Overwhelming choice, the climate crisis and the increase in cost of living are influencing consumer behaviour and changing the way owners market themselves. 

This report draws on data from the Sawday’s group and external sources to take a look at some of the big questions facing the market as we explore the new landscape of travel.  

Market overview

Even before the Covid-driven rise of staycations, self-catering was well established as an economic powerhouse, with a 2019: PASC Report finding 86,445 properties hosting 9.4 million visitor nights per year for a total of £2.6 billion visitor spend. This made it a very desirable market, but a flood of new properties has arguably driven it to the point of saturation. Airbnb reported 6.6 million listings worldwide by the end of 2022, with more than 120,000 in the UK. Thanks to soaring costs, overwhelming supply has not led to a fall in rates, as a Which Report showed a price rise of 50% on the major booking platforms.   

This has left guests sifting through an overwhelming array of potentially price-inflated places to find what they want, and yet the market remains strong. Guests are more determined to find value, meaning curated platforms and authentic experiences are the things that will make a place stand out.  

While Mintel predicts that the staycation market will flatten out over the next five years, environmental concerns, complications in international travel since Brexit and, surprisingly, a boom in dog ownership, mean that UK self-catering’s time in the sun is not likely to end soon. 

Tech and titans – are the big players taking over?

Platforms operating at incredible scale and massive search engines would appear to leave little room for the independents, but with an audience in search of something different, a backlash might be starting.   

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Front and centre – what’s it really like being a property owner right now?

The latest from the property owners of our Customer Advisory Group on the challenges they face from increasing costs and new legislation. 

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Flexibility and sustainability – has what guests are looking for changed?

With the environmental and cost-of-living crises shaping the new post-pandemic world of travel, consumers are re-examining what they want from places to stay and the sites they find them on. 

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Destinations old and new – Where are people going?

Europe’s travel ban has lifted, but many guests have been exploring new areas of the UK, resulting in some interesting findings from our geographical data. 

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Pets mean prizes – Can owners afford not to be dog friendly?

Dog ownership skyrocketed in the last couple of years, to the point that people travelling with pets make up a significant demographic which might be worth changing the rules for.  

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Simple and successful – What is the message behind the rise of gîtes?

A sudden surge in popularity for France’s classic rural properties helps us understand the needs of the modern traveller, with even owners in the UK able to capitalise. 

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