A digital guidebook is the perfect tool for an STR host and will also gain you points in the Sustonica Criteria
One of the outcomes of the pandemic was the move away from paper and print to digital solutions. This included the introduction of digital guidebooks in vacation rentals.
However, there are many more benefits than just the health ones, which we will share in this article. Another advantage is that there are a number of topics in the Sustonica criteria which require verification by means of your digital guidebook.
1. Why create a digital guidebook for your vacation rental?
Despite the rise in self check-in, there is still a real benefit to welcoming guests on arrival in person. It allows you to enhance that first impression and set the tone for the rest of the stay.
However, as a host or property manager, it can become very boring when you have to repeat the same information over and over again! Much nicer to be able to answer the questions that your guests have so that you can tailor your responses to their needs.
Another advantage of a digital guidebook is the fact that you can share it in advance with your guests. You may decide to do this when they book and pay their deposit, or send it when their final invoice is due. Whichever way you choose, it becomes another incentive and your guests will start to get excited about their stay. It also helps if you are operating on a self-check basis, as it easily does the “talking” for you!
In terms of content, using a digital platform allows you to create easy-to-follow sections, and it’s really quick to update. No more having to update your printed guide when a restaurant closes, for example, and having to print out that page. You save time, paper and ink.
From your guests’ perspective, they will have a really engaging and visual guide that they can plan from before their arrival. Once in your destination, they can take it with them and consult the guide without calling the host or manager countless times.
So, in summary, there are some compelling reasons for creating a digital guidebook for your vacation rental:
- Save on printing and paper
- Reduce saying the same thing repeatedly
- Ability to share in advance
- Divide into easy sections
- Quick and simple to update
- Your guests have your guide before, after and during their stay
- Use as proof for certain Sustonica criteria
2. Share the foodie scene in your destination
One of the key trends in tourism is the traveller desire for different culinary experiences. Consequently, featuring the local food highlights in your digital guidebook is a must.
Staying in a short-term rental offers an advantage over a hotel by giving guests a kitchen. This allows them to buy local food and prepare it themselves in their rental. Guests still prioritize travel, but they are price-conscious due to the current economic situation. Having a kitchen, means that they do not have to eat out for every meal. They will also benefit from choice, not having to eat in a hotel restaurant and being able to try out places where the locals would eat.
Consequently, as a host or property manager, you can help your guests get the most out of the local foodie scene. By recommending local independent retailers of good quality, locally sourced food as well as organic and vegetarian restaurants, you score on every level. Firstly, you are exposing your guests to places that tourists would not normally experience. Secondly, you are supporting local businesses – very important with the current negative views towards tourists from residents in many destinations. Lastly, you are caring for the planet by recommending healthier food which has not been imported from thousands of miles away.
These are the specific Sustonica criteria, which will use your digital guide for proof:
- Locally sourced food stores
- Local vegetarian restaurants
- Local organic restaurants
DID YOU KNOW? – Providing any of the foodie details mentioned above can get you up to 2.19% for each one on the Sustonica criteria! Check out our standard.
Why is it part of the criteria? Creating easy access to local, organic and vegetarian food leans into one of the key guest attractions for exploring a destination. It also shows that you are supporting a healthier, less polluting food system.
3. Promote your local culture and heritage
Another reason that people travel is to experience the unique culture and heritage of a destination. Like food, this can be another really evocative section in your digital guidebook.
Heritage tourism, as it is often referred to, can make a significant contribution to a country’s economy. It supports jobs as well as providing funds for preservation and restoration. For example, in the UK in 2023 visitor spend generated an estimated £11.5 billion. This includes domestic and international paid visits to historical sites, museums, monuments and natural landscapes.
A further prevalent tourism trend is the desire to discover the unknown. This offers an opportunity to STR owners and managers to introduce their guests to off-the-beaten path sites. This could be a museum or church rarely visited by tourists, or a little-known place in the countryside. Vacation rentals often have a close connection with their destination and can discover and promote these rare gems. It also helps to combat overtourism, with the dispersal of travellers away from the usual tourist hotspots.
DID YOU KNOW? – Providing a list of heritage sites and off-the-beaten-path places can get you up to 2.19% each on the Sustonica criteria! Check out our standard.
Why is it part of the criteria? Tourism can play an important role in funding and preserving heritage sites for future generations as well as introducing travellers to less well-known places.
4. Give back to your local community
In the current anti-STR climate in many destinations, it makes sense to start giving back to the local communities that host your property(ies). We have already talked about supporting local businesses, and you can go even further.
Travellers are looking for ways to interact with local residents in order to gain first-hand insights into the culture of a place. In many destinations, hospitality businesses are setting up programmes that enable their guests to take part in volunteering work as part of an experiential stay. There are also programmes to allow guests to donate to specific local projects, such as healthcare and nature-based solutions to climate change like mangrove planting.
As a host or property manager, you could consider partnering with a local volunteering project that resonates with your brand. You can ask for support from your guests, but you can also give your team paid time off to volunteer. This shows that you are a business that cares about the destinations which host you and your guests.
DID YOU KNOW? – Having a list of local volunteering work can get you up to 3.13% on the Sustonica criteria! Check out our standard.
Why is it part of the criteria? Being involved in community projects, which improve the lives of local residents and the resilience of the destination, create a positive impact.
5. What to look for in a digital guidebook platform
Hopefully, you now understand the benefits of having a digital guidebook for a short-term rental. It will enable you to share your story and the essence of your destination, as well as giving guests useful information about your property.
So, how do you choose the best digital platform to create your guidebook? We recommend you consider the following points:
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- Can you customise the template to suit your brand?
- How easy is it to create your guidebook?
- Is there a way for you to share your sustainability initiatives?
- Is there an integrated translation tool?
- Is there integration with other platforms like Google to connect to local businesses?
- How good are the reviews and testimonials of other STR users?
- Are there other features, such as communication with guests via email, syncing with your PMS?
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There are a number of platforms available, and two worth looking at are Touch Stay and Hostfully.
6. Specific advice for property management companies
It may seem that setting up a digital guidebook is something for your owners and hosts to do. However, as a property management company, you could certainly consider agreeing a multiple discount with a digital guidebook provider. This could even become one of the benefits for an owner of choosing your company, either as part of your fee or as an upsell add-on.
If you are a PMC who offers a full management service, you could even create the guidebook with your branding and pre-populate certain sections. These could include more generic sections about your cleaning practices, use of appliances, house rules, etc. Subsequently, you can then support your hosts to complete the remaining sections. Encourage them to tell their story and share those all-important recommendations in their destination, as mentioned in this article.
