Summer 2026 hospitality marketing: strategy for hotels, B&Bs and holiday rentals

Summer 2026 will be more competitive than previous years for Italian tourism. OTAs keep raising commissions, new direct booking players multiply, guests are more demanding and less loyal. The properties that will win aren't those with the lowest price, but those that can build a stable direct booking channel.

In this guide we give you the operational strategy we apply in tourism projects run by +Click. These are the same methods that brought concrete results for luxury properties like Hotel Don Diego and for proprietary booking platforms like Appartamenti Mare Sardegna.

#Summer 2026 context: what has changed

Three macro-trends influence summer 2026 and must be kept in mind in the strategy. Not marketing opinions, market data.

1. Rising OTA commissions: Booking raised average fee to 18% (was 15% in 2023), Airbnb introduced dynamic fees that can reach 22%. OTA dependency gets more expensive every year.
2. Last-minute travel growth: 47% of Italians book within 30 days of departure (vs 38% in 2021). Marketing campaigns need to be always-on, not just in early booking months.
3. AI assistants for travel search: ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Mode are already used to plan trips by 22% of Italians under 45. Appearing in AI citations is becoming as important as appearing in top Google results.

#Direct bookings: reducing OTA dependency

The goal isn't eliminating OTAs (they're still the main discovery channel for many guests), it's reducing the percentage of bookings going through them in favour of direct. Four concrete levers.

Price lever: intelligent rate parity

Booking and Expedia rate parity clauses prohibit you from showing lower prices on public channels. But you can offer non-price advantages: free upgrades, late check-out, breakfast included, free parking, welcome drink. Each extra service offered only on the official site orients booking toward direct.

Experience lever: what Booking can't tell

On the proprietary site you can tell the complete experience: drone video of the property, family story, virtual tours of rooms, details OTA cards don't show. The guest arriving on your site from a Google Maps or Instagram search is already in evaluation phase: give them reasons to book directly.

Technical lever: zero-friction booking engine

The site must have a fast, mobile-first booking engine with clear availability calendar, immediate confirmation. Recommended technologies: Bookassist, Hotelnet, Hotelvenue for standard solutions; custom Next.js development for properties wanting unique brand experience (see Appartamenti Mare Sardegna case, proprietary zero-dependency engine).

Retention lever: post-stay contact

A guest who has already stayed is 8x more likely to return if recontacted well. Email marketing automation with seasonal offers, loyalty program with discount on second direct stay, post-checkout WhatsApp with review request and return invitation. Covered in depth in email marketing automation.

#Local SEO for hotels, B&Bs and holiday rentals

The first ROI channel for tourism is local search. When someone searches "hotel Costa Smeralda", "B&B Cinque Terre", "Salento seaside rentals", Google activates the local pack with 3 results above organic. Being there means intercepting guests in decision phase.

Google Business Profile optimised for tourism

• Correct main category: "Hotel", "Bed & Breakfast", "Vacation Rental", "Resort", "Guest House". Don't underestimate specificity.
• Updated seasonal photos: 30+ photos of the property in summer mode (pool open, terraces set up, beach accessible).
• Detailed services: free WiFi, parking, accessibility, pets allowed, breakfast included. Each service is a filter in Google searches.
• Weekly posts: property news, seasonal offers, local events, recent reviews. Keep the listing alive.
• Q&A answers: guests often ask specific questions before booking. Answer all, even "obvious" ones.

Google Reviews: the deciding factor

For tourism, Google reviews weigh more than TripAdvisor and Booking taken individually. Volume (at least double your direct competitors), recency (monthly reviews), average rating (above 4.5 stars), owner responses within 48 hours. Full guide in local SEO for local businesses.

#Drone content and professional shoots: real ROI

Visual content is the number one differentiator in tourism. A trivial photo communicates "another hotel like many". A drone video with visual storytelling communicates "experience worth living". But you need to do it well, not improvised.

What to shoot and in what order

1. Aerial drone of the property in context: the property seen from above with sea/lake/mountain surrounding it. The "wow factor" TripAdvisor can't tell.
2. Tour of main rooms: one per category, stable shots, natural light, details making the difference (view from bed, bathroom with view, private balcony).
3. Common areas: restaurant, pool, wellness, terrace, lobby. Show the complete experience.
4. Emotional details: breakfast served, before the pool dip, sunset view from terrace. The content that makes people desire.
5. Territory storytelling: surroundings, beaches reachable in minutes, local attractions, partner restaurants. Selling the area helps sell the property.

Typical investment for professional content

• Basic package: 1-day interior shoot + 2-hour drone exterior. Output: 30 pro photos, 1 video at 60 seconds. Cost: €800-1,500.
• Premium package: 2-day shoot + 4-hour drone + cinematic edit. Output: 80 pro photos, 1 brand video at 90s, 3 vertical shorts for social. Cost: €2,500-4,500.
• Luxury package (like Hotel Don Diego): 3 days of production, professional drone, talent, cinematic colour edit, seasonal video content. Cost: €8,000-15,000.

#Geo-targeted Meta campaigns: who and how to target

Meta Ads for tourism doesn't work by targeting "people who love travel". It works by targeting with surgical precision the right source markets, at the right times, with the right creatives.

Source markets to target

For an Italian seaside property, historically converting markets are: Italian metropolitan areas with purchasing power (Milan, Rome, Turin, Bologna, Florence), Germany (Bavaria, NRW, Berlin regions), Switzerland (German cantons), France (Île-de-France, PACA), UK (London, South East). For each source market the creative must be adapted.

Audiences that typically work

• Lookalike 1-3% based on customers who booked in the last 18 months.
• Site visitor retargeting last 90 days who saw rooms page but didn't book.
• Interest "luxury travel" / "boutique hotels" / "italian vacation" for top funnel awareness.
• Custom audience from past customers email list for reactivation.
• Engagement custom (those who interacted with Instagram posts in last 90 days).

Typical season budget

For a mid-size property (15-30 rooms) typical Meta Ads budget for summer season is €4,000-12,000 total, spread over 3-4 months. For luxury properties €15,000-40,000. Expected ROAS for Italian tourism: 4-10x on Italian markets, 6-15x on foreign markets. Covered in the Meta Ads for SMBs with positive ROAS playbook.

#WhatsApp Business: the channel that converts 3x

For Italian tourism WhatsApp has become the preferred booking channel under 50 years old. Conversion rates: a WhatsApp request converts 3-5x more than a site form request, because 1-to-1 conversation breaks down objections.

Operational setup

• Dedicated WhatsApp Business number (separate from personal).
• Well-visible WhatsApp button on the site (sticky header + every room page).
• Response within 30 minutes in 9-21 time slot (sector target).
• Product catalogue inside WhatsApp Business with rooms/services.
• Automatic welcome and out-of-hours messages.
• For high volumes, move to WhatsApp Business API with chatbot for initial qualification.

#Reviews and summer reputation management

Reviews in high season multiply. Managing them well is the difference between a season feeding the next and one burning future revenue.

Review management process

1. Automatic request within 24 hours of check-out: email + WhatsApp with direct link to platforms (Google, TripAdvisor, Booking).
2. Response to all reviews within 72 hours (positive and negative): shows you listen and care.
3. For negative reviews: thanks for feedback, problem acknowledgment, invitation to private contact for resolution.
4. Reviews with photos: incentivise them with small post-stay attentions (10% future discount, welcome drink on return).
5. Monthly sentiment monitoring: identify recurring problems before they become reputation crises.

#Real cases: three properties, three approaches

Three different approaches to three types of properties, with +Click methodology applied.

Luxury hotel: Hotel Don Diego (Costa Dorata)

Hotel Don Diego is a 4-star luxury property with private beach and marina in Sardinia. Approach: professional drone video production of the property, coast and Tavolara and Molara islands, interior shoots of sea-view Junior Suites, panoramic restaurant, pools. Distribution via luxury editorial plan on social, geo-targeted ads on luxury source markets, focus on direct bookings for May 24 - October 12 2026 season.

Holiday rentals: Appartamenti Mare Sardegna

Appartamenti Mare Sardegna is a network of seafront apartments with proprietary platform. Approach: appartamentimaresardegna.com site bilingual IT/EN built in custom Next.js, proprietary booking engine, zero dependency on Booking/Airbnb. Impeccable technical SEO from day-1, LodgingBusiness schema for each apartment, correct hreflang. The client now has a direct channel for bookings without OTA commissions, with full code ownership and booking data control.

Events and wedding: Villa Pacieri

Though not strictly "accommodation", the Villa Pacieri case has lessons applicable to event tourism. Approach: professional website, interior photo shoots, drone video of the villa, complete social management, Meta Ads geo-targeted within 20km radius for couples and event organisers. Result: over 100 bookings for the open day, 368K total views last month (261K Facebook + 107K Instagram), profile visits +105%. For tourist properties with events (wedding venues, agriturismi hosting weddings) the same approach works.

Italian tourism in 2026 wins with two things: reducing OTA dependency to recover margin, and using serious visual content to justify premium positioning. Those continuing to think "being on Booking is enough" will lose market share year after year.

— Niccolò Giuseppetti, founder +Click

#Checklist for the 30 days before season opening

1. 30 days before: video and photo content ready, site updated with season rates, booking engine tested.
2. 25 days before: Meta campaigns launched on past-customer lookalikes and main source markets. Pre-season budget: 30% of total.
3. 20 days before: email blast to entire past customer list with early booking direct offer.
4. 15 days before: Google Business Profile updated with season hours, recent photos, promotional posts.
5. 10 days before: ad scaling on performing audiences. Scaling budget: 40% of total.
6. 5 days before: WhatsApp Business season setup, automated messages, eventual pre-qualification chatbots.
7. Season opening: intensive monitoring of first bookings, A/B test creatives on organic posts, response to reviews within 48 hours.
8. Weekly during season: metrics review, ad optimisation, content updates, review management.

KPIs to measure during the season

• Direct booking rate (target: minimum 40% of total for mid-size properties, 50%+ for luxury).
• Average ADR direct vs OTA (should be 5-10% higher on direct thanks to upsells).
• Cost per direct booking (must be lower than OTA commission saved).
• New Google reviews per month (target: minimum 10 for mid-size properties).
• Average Google rating (maintain above 4.5 stars).
• WhatsApp average response time (under 30 minutes in operational hours).

#FAQ summer 2026 hospitality marketing