What is the Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA)?
The Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA) is the professional trade association of the vacation rental property management and hospitality industries. Founded in 1985, the VRMA has more than 600 property management and associate members throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Caribbean representing approximately 150,000 vacation rentals, condos and villas.
As the united, authoritative voice of the vacation rental industry, the VRMA works to advance the lodging category by providing members with invaluable educational and networking opportunities, promoting the value of the vacation rental experience through its public awareness initiative, Discover Vacation Homes, and by fostering broad professionalism and growth.
As the awareness initiative of the Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA), Discover Vacation Homes is the trusted public voice and an expert resource on behalf of the professionally managed vacation rental industry. Originally launched in 2006 by ten founding members in the Orlando area, the DVH program was formed to unite the industry in raising consumer awareness of vacation rentals as one of the nation's fastest-growing lodging categories.
One of the core issues facing the vacation rental industry today remains the lack of consumer awareness surrounding the lodging option. This need was most recently confirmed by PhocusWright’s newly released study, Vacation Rental Marketplace: Poised for Change, which shows not only a lack of general awareness about the product category, but also a lack of knowledge about the benefits of renting professionally managed properties. With the strength of more than 150,000 represented rental properties, the VRMA combined with the DVH initiative are able to more effectively elevate the awareness level of the entire industry through earned editorial coverage, social networking and new media strategies.
Consumers may often be overwhelmed with the millions of vacation rental choices nationwide, many of which from companies or individual owners that offer various strengths and weaknesses. The Discover Vacation Homes initiative offers a one-stop-shop for travelers to find answers to common questions, as well as tips and tools for choosing a home that fits their needs and budget, as members uphold the VRMA’s code of ethics and business practices to ensure guests are provided a quality lodging experience.
How does the initiative impact the hospitality and tourism industries?
This cause is successfully raising the awareness of vacation home rentals to consumers as a viable lodging option nationwide, essentially generating more reservations and tourism revenue for markets across the country.
How do vacation rentals make an impact in terms of tourism dollars?
Vacation rentals represented a $24.3 billion market in 2007, equaling more than one-fifth of all hotel room revenue and eight percent of the total U.S. travel market.* In terms of local markets, in Central Florida, for example, a total of 1.24 million visitors rented homes in Osceola County in 2006, contributing more than $1.1 billion to the local economy and an additional $583.3 million in indirect and induced economic impacts for the county. Visitors were from high-income households, stayed longer and spent more per day than the average visitor to the area. The total economic impact of the vacation homes segment has been estimated at roughly $1.7 billion dollars, generating over 14,500 jobs.**
This success has been duplicated in hotspots nationwide, and with little decline during today’s recession compared to hotel room occupancy in some areas, the industry is an essential means of generating tourism dollars in a tough economy.
What is the VRMA doing to raise consumer awareness?
Discover Vacation Homes is dedicated to increasing awareness through public relations efforts and publicity. Consumers are increasingly looking online for third party recommendations about everything from retail goods to accommodations. By combining traditional public relations with new strategies to capitalize on the emerging online community of social media, the DVH campaign seeks to elevate the awareness level of the entire industry. While collective marketing efforts may be in the organization’s future, public relations is a much more credible, effective, and cost-efficient means of gaining national exposure, rather than running multi-million dollar print, broadcast and online advertising campaigns.
The PR plan supporting VRMA’s Discover Vacation Homes initiative includes specific activities that:
Educate the public and increase awareness through media relations.
Develop and support an internal communications program.
Integrate existing public relations efforts to support membership-marketing goals.
Utilize social media and new technology to promote vacation home rentals to media, members and the public.
Place media in support of legislative and government affairs activity as necessary.
Why should travelers consider VRMA member companies when choosing their accommodations?
Travelers may be overwhelmed with lodging options when beginning to plan a trip, and may wonder how to find the right property for their family, group, and their budget. Comprised of the most well-established vacation home companies in the industry, the VRMA’s members are committed to a code of ethics and business practices that ensure the quality of their properties and services. Each member company has something unique to offer vacationers, and no matter which is chosen, travelers receive important advantages over other vacation options.
How is the Discover Vacation Homes website different from other web resources in the vacation rental category?
The VRMA's www.DiscoverVacationHomes.com is not a listing site like many other vacation rental websites, but rather a resource for directing travelers directly to the secure websites of professional vacation rental companies throughout North America. On the site, travelers will find a map that’s searchable within each state, allowing visitors to explore the trusted offerings of members by geographic region.
What’s more, the DVH website offers travelers answers to common questions, general information about the vacation rental category versus hotels and other lodging options, travelers’ testimonials and more.
More than 600 members strong, VRMA association membership is comprised of both professional management companies and associate members throughout North America. Most vacation rentals available through the VRMA’s members are privately owned, while association members manage the rental, maintenance, guest services and administration processes. For a complete list of members, visit www.DiscoverVacationHomes.com.
Where are professionally managed vacation rentals located?
Association members offer fully furnished vacation home rentals, condos and villas to travelers and their families in a variety of diverse destinations, including ski areas, beaches, theme parks, mountains, national parks, locales off the beaten path, and many other desired vacation experiences. Vacation rentals are available from one to more than seven bedrooms and bathrooms, all under one roof. Many vacation rentals also come equipped with extra amenities for private recreation in-home, including game rooms, billiard tables, fireplaces, private pools and/or home movie theatres with cinema-style seating. Smaller groups staying in a condo or town home enjoy access to community perks, as well. Pet-friendly, handicap accessible, and eco-friendly homes are also available through various member companies.
Most of the vacation rental homes available through the VRMA’s members are privately owned. Association members manage the home rental, maintenance and administration process for individual homeowners and, in some instances, assist in the purchase and sale of homes.
Amanda Drake
Ypartnership
Account Executive, Public Relations
423 South Keller Road, Suite 100
Orlando, FL 32810
Phone: (800) 308 – 8145 or (407) 838-1829
Fax: (407) 875 -1115
Amanda.Drake@Ypartnership.com
* PhoCusWright’s Vacation Rental Marketplace: Poised for Change
** Economic Impact Analysis of the Tourism Industry in Osceola County in 2006, Report prepared for the Kissimmee Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Dick Pope Sr. Institute for Tourism Studies, June 2007
