In 2025, vacation rental guests behave dramatically differently from just a few years ago. They’re booking more trips, prioritizing flexibility over predictability, and making decisions influenced by everything from TikTok to loyalty points. Understanding these shifts isn’t just helpful, it’s essential for property managers looking to maintain occupancy and grow revenue in an increasingly competitive market.

At GuestyVal 2025, Cassian Silins, Senior Director of Lodging Connectivity Account Management at Expedia Group, shared findings from the company’s comprehensive Traveler Value Index: a survey of 11,000 consumers across 11 key markets that reveals exactly what today’s travelers want and how they’re making booking decisions.

Watch the full session here.

The travel imperative grows stronger

If there was any question about whether travel demand would sustain post-pandemic levels, Expedia’s data provides a clear answer. International travel is firmly back on the map, with 68% of survey respondents having already booked international travel or planning to do so within twelve months. This represents a dramatic shift from the staycation era of pandemic travel to increasingly ambitious itineraries.

Perhaps most significantly for property managers, travelers are planning more frequent trips. In 2025, travelers say they want to book at least three trips on average, up from just two trips in Expedia’s 2023 survey data.

“Fifty percent of consumers say travel is more important now compared to five years ago,” Silins said. “The impact on people’s desire to travel has not faded. In fact, it’s increased.”

The motivation mix: Family, friends, and new experiences

What’s driving all this travel? The top motivations reveal what guests are actually seeking when they book vacation rentals. Spending time with family and friends ranks as the number one priority, with this motivation particularly strong among Mexican, US, and UK travelers, where it reaches 60% in some markets.

Finding new experiences follows closely behind, skewing heavily toward younger generations who prioritize discovery and novelty in their travel plans. For property managers, this suggests a dual focus: properties need to accommodate groups and families while also offering unique local experiences and authentic connections to their destinations.

The blurred lines of work and leisure

One of the most significant trends reshaping guest needs is the rise of bleisure and flexcation travel: trips that blend business and leisure, or involve working remotely from a destination. Forty-three percent of consumers are planning to travel for work in the next year according to Expedia, representing an 11% increase versus 2022 data.

This shift has direct implications for property amenities and positioning. High-speed Wi-Fi is essential infrastructure that needs to work reliably in every corner of a property. Dedicated workspace has become a competitive differentiator.

“You need to be aware of this to increasingly cater to this audience, whether it is super high speed Wi-Fi across all of your property in the nooks and crannies, but also making sure you have that office space or quiet office space as well,” Silins said.

Price sensitivity meets increased spending

Here’s where the survey reveals an interesting paradox: 51% of consumers said they’re going to increase their travel budget for the next year, but 58% anticipate being more price-conscious in the next twelve months. How do these seemingly contradictory trends coexist?

The answer lies in travel frequency. Travelers are spending less money per trip but taking more trips overall. This shows up in booking values and basket sizes, creating a more fragmented travel pattern where guests seek value at every turn.

Inflation remains top of mind, with 44% of respondents citing it as the biggest factor impacting their travel plans. This concern varies significantly by market, reaching into the 60-70% range in Brazil, Australia, and Canada.

For property managers, this means pricing strategy and promotional tactics matter more than ever. Early booking discounts, mobile app discounts, and loyalty reward discounts all ranked high among price-conscious travelers. A rigid, one-size-fits-all pricing approach won’t capture this evolving guest.

Trust commands a premium

While guests are more price-sensitive, they’re also willing to pay more for properties they trust. The data here is striking: 75% of survey respondents said they would actually pay more for a vacation rental property if they saw better customer reviews.

This finding should fundamentally shape how property managers think about guest experience and reputation management. Reviews are quickly becoming a key revenue lever. Properties with strong ratings can command higher prices while simultaneously attracting more bookings from trust-seeking travelers.

Trust extends beyond reviews to the booking experience itself. Silins said travelers increasingly favor booking through platforms they already know and trust, as well as through loyalty programs associated with non-travel brands they use regularly. This, he said, explains why Expedia Group’s B2B network—which includes 70,000 partners like American Express, Walmart, and Mastercard—represents such a significant distribution opportunity. 

The amenity arms race continues

As guest expectations evolve, so do their amenity requirements. For 2025, climate control, high-speed Wi-Fi, and enhanced cleaning ranked as the top priorities, though the key insight here is comprehensiveness. More amenities consistently correlates with better performance.

This doesn’t mean every property needs a hot tub and home theater. It means accurately listing everything a property offers, from the basics (kitchen equipment, parking, heating and cooling) to the special touches that create memorable experiences. Guests are filtering search results by amenities, and properties that don’t show up in those searches simply won’t get considered.

The path to booking has changed dramatically, with social media emerging as a dominant force in travel inspiration, according to 61% of travelers.

Instagram and TikTok are on the rise as travel discovery engines. Interestingly, film and television are also driving destination decisions, with shows like The Traitors boosting interest in Scottish castles and Yellowstone drawing travelers to Montana and Wyoming.

For property managers, this means visual storytelling and content creation have become essential marketing activities. Properties need to be present and visually compelling on the platforms where travelers are discovering their next destination.

Four strategies to capture the modern traveler

Silins distilled the Traveler Value Index findings into four actionable strategies for vacation rental operators:

Increase visibility and reach. Distribution matters more than ever. Expedia Group is expanding its B2B network to include more vacation rental inventory, meaning properties can reach travelers through an expanding ecosystem of loyalty programs and partner platforms. Cross-listing across the Expedia Group’s brands (Expedia.com, Hotels.com, and Vrbo) opens additional booking channels.

Appeal to the price-sensitive customer. Promotions are “really the name of this year,” according to Silins. Property managers need flexible pricing strategies that can respond to market conditions and guest expectations for deals and discounts.

Develop trust with travelers. Guest experience must be the foundation of any growth strategy. Strong reviews not only increase conversion rates but also support higher pricing. Programs like Vrbo’s Premier Host designation provide additional trust signals that resonate with today’s cautious bookers.

Adopt an API-first mindset. Technology infrastructure determines how quickly property managers can respond to market changes and guest needs. New API capabilities from Vrbo include content management and onboarding (reducing time to go live from days to hours), promotions management, and Vrbo Payments. Guesty is implementing these API integrations, with the content management and onboarding API going live in the coming days.

The opportunity ahead

Despite economic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions, travel remains remarkably resilient. The industry has weathered financial crises, terrorism, natural disasters, and pandemics — and consistently recovered stronger.

“The future looks bright, definitely, when it comes to travel,” Silins said. “We go through ups and downs. We know this. It’s very cyclical. It’s a very robust industry, and travelers are wanting to travel even more now — more trips, more budgets. So we’re in a great period of growth.”

For property managers willing to adapt to changing guest expectations, invest in the right technology infrastructure, and maintain focus on trust and experience, the opportunity has rarely been larger. The modern traveler is booking more frequently, spending more overall, and seeking authentic experiences, which is exactly what great vacation rentals provide.

The key is understanding what drives their decisions and ensuring your properties and distribution strategy align with how they actually search, evaluate, and book. The data is clear. Now it’s time to act on it.

A B2B marketing professional with deep familiarity in the short-term rental industry, translating complex ideas into clear, engaging content. Writes blogs, web copy, and industry reports that inform and inspire. Uncompromising on the Oxford comma.