May 2023 Newsletter

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RR Newsletter - May 2023 Sustainability Report

Updated on May 11, 2023

NOW AVAILABLE: 2023 STR Sustainability Report + Resource Guide

This report brings together all of the insights, takeaways, and replays from Rent Responsibly’s Spring 2023 RR Summit: People, Places, Planet – 12 hours of content in one digestible roundup.

I give you permission to own your program, to own your business. It is your product, it is your program, and you have every right to say, “Unfortunately, I can’t bend those rules.”

– Sarah Karakaian, Thanks for Visiting

I am still absorbing the insights and “pull-over moments,” as Sarah and T would say, from last month’s RR Summit: People, Places, Planet. There were many mic-drop moments over the two days and 17 sessions. My top 10:

  • “Sustainability is going to be a hot topic, and to get ahead of the pack, you need to do something now.” – Deborah Labi, host of The Green Path Podcast
  • “We’ve got to show guests they can have a better experience by adopting a sustainable approach.” –  Tara Scott, founder and managing director of Click Book Stay
  • “If we don’t manage the impacts of tourism on environmental attractions, they’re no longer attractive and people will stop coming to visit.” – Melanie Brown, executive director of data insights at Key Data
  • “Proper planning prevents poor performance.” –  Tim Cafferty, co-host of the Sarah and T podcast
  • “Photos are by far the most important investment you can make for your vacation rental. High-quality photos will go a long way to bring travelers into your listing and convince them to book with you.” – Margie Mills, Vrbo
  • “It turns out that sustainability sells. Marketing sustainability gives you pricing power. That’s borne out in the data across hospitality.” – Andrew Kitchell, Wheelhouse
  • “When you become a power brand, people will drive farther, wait longer, and they will pay more for what you have.” – Alex Husner, cohost of The Alex and Annie Podcast
  • “Sustainability is doing three or four things well as opposed to nine or 10 things poorly. You have to allow yourself a little bit of finding some things that don’t work to find what does work and is sustainable.” – Conrad O’Connell, cohost of the Heads in Beds podcast
  • “Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and just share as much of your experience, the ups, the downs, the struggles, you name it, because it really makes a difference to people. And that’s what they resonate with the most.” – Tatianna Taylor-Tait, interior designer and STR coach

Sarah’s quote at the top of this newsletter from Thanks for Visiting’s session has stuck with me the most. I give you permission to own your business.

Everything is fair game to question and test. No one has to wait for anyone’s permission to do things better. This applies to our communities and our industry, too. Here in this brief shoulder between spring and summer, we can pause and ask:

  • I’m not required to operate sustainably, but can I hold myself to a higher standard? (Yes! Start here.)
  • I see the effects tourism is having on my destination, positive and negative. Can I do something about this, even if I have no experience? (Yes! Start here.)
  • I see my council is trying to put in place rules for STRs based on some other town, but I don’t think that’s the right solution. Can I propose something better even if I’ve never done something like this before? (Yes! Start here.)

Taking a page out of Sarah’s playbook, I give you permission to do things better. The world’s not waiting for us to ask; it’s waiting for us simply to start.

2023 STR Sustainability Report + resource guide for tons of new industry insights and steps to put them into action!

This report brings together all of the insights, takeaways, and replays from Rent Responsibly’s Spring 2023 RR Summit: People, Places, Planet – 12 hours of content in one digestible roundup.

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