July 2023 Update
This month, the ability to actually create a site got much easier with updates that removed a lot of the onboarding friction required to do so. In fact, this theme continued throughout July with a new integration as well as support for property managers in Thailand.
Dtravel Direct, our direct booking website builder for vacation rental operators and property managers just got a whole lot more user-friendly this past July.
Dtravel makes it easy for travelers to book vacation rentals directly with property managers rather than having to go through an intermediary like Airbnb. Right now, property managers can create a beautifully designed direct booking site, own their listing data and accept direct payments from guests. Soon we will release a way for travelers to actually discover independent booking sites, but that's for another update…
This month, the ability to actually create a site got much easier with updates that removed a lot of the onboarding friction required to do so. In fact, this theme continued throughout July with a new integration as well as support for property managers in Thailand.
Read our full July update below to learn more!
Recent Updates in July
- Manual Listings
- Crypto Payments: Damage Protection & Guest Screening
- Track PMS Integration via GuestSmiles
- Support for Thailand Property Managers
- Dtravel Ambassador Program
- Dtravel at HUMANS
- SUPERHOG Partnership
Product Updates
Manual Listings
Without a doubt the standout highlight for Dtravel Direct this month was the release of our manual listings feature. Previously, anyone wanting to create a direct booking site using Dtravel Direct would have to do so by first connecting their PMS (property management system). This definitely resulted in significant onboarding friction.
Now, property managers have two ways to get started creating a direct booking site:
- Import listing data via PMS
- Create listings manually
Once a new property manager signs up through email, they can begin creating their listings through our user friendly manual listing flow similar to the way they would if they were creating a listing on Airbnb. The major difference here, of course, is that once a booking site is live, the property manager has complete ownership over their listing data and can begin accepting direct payments from guests rather than through an intermediary.
This update is especially useful for property managers with only a few listings as it enables a way to create a vacation rental site without needing to pay a monthly PMS subscription fee.
By the end of August, this onboarding flow will become even more user friendly. Instead of creating listings one by one from scratch, property managers will soon be able to simply import their listing data directly from Airbnb and edit accordingly. We’re excited to release this update as it will present huge time savings for those property managers with 5+ listings.
Read more about our manual listings update here.
Damage Protection & Guest Screening for Crypto Payments
At the end of June we announced the release of a highly requested feature, a Damage Protection Plan and Guest Screening. This update brings peace of mind to property managers who have become accustomed to the security of OTA (online travel agency) programs like Airbnb’s Aircover.
Previously, the ability to add a Damage Protection Plan and Guest Screening only worked for fiat payments (e.g. credit card, book-now-pay-later, etc.). This month, however, we updated the integration, enabling property managers to take advantage of both a Damage Protection Plan and Guest Screening regardless of the payment method used.
The Know Your Guest by SUPERHOG integration allows property managers with a Dtravel Direct booking site to add a Damage Protection Plan and free Guest Screening to their bookings for both fiat and crypto payments.
Ready more about the partnership here.
Track PMS Integration via GuestSmiles
We’re excited to announce that property managers using Track PMS to manage their properties can now create a direct booking site powered by Dtravel Direct as a result of our latest integration.
This month, we completed our integration with GuestSmiles, a channel manager offering connectivity to Track PMS, among others. By creating a free account with GuestSmiles, property managers can connect their Dtravel Direct powered booking site and begin importing listings through Track PMS, ensuring live rates and availability across all of their booking channels.
For more information, please read our user guide on “How to Connect Dtravel Direct to Track PMS”
Support for Property Managers in Thailand
Thailand is a major market for Dtravel Direct, not only because there are many property managers who want a direct booking site that can process crypto payments, but because it’s a hub for digital nomads who want to pay for accommodations using crypto.
Previously, property managers were underserved by Dtravel Direct due to challenges concerning Stripe. This month however, we came up with a solution, opening up the ability for any property manager operating in Thailand to now create a direct booking site powered by Dtravel Direct.
Property managers in Thailand can now display Thai Baht (THB) pricing and process bookings in both fiat and crypto payments!
Growth and Marketing
Dtravel Ambassador Program Departures: M1
July saw the launch of the Dtravel Ambassador Program, an initiative in partnership with Galxe aimed at growing exposure for the Dtravel ecosystem amongst web3 users.
The first campaign entitled Departures: M2 saw a significant lift in community participation across Twitter, Discord and Telegram, and resulted in five lucky community members being rewarded with 1000 TRVL tokens each.
Checkout the recap of our Twitter Spaces with Galxe to learn more:
New month, new campaign. In case you missed out on winning 1000 TRVL in July. Don’t worry, we just launched Departures: M2. Running until the end of August, Departures: M2 encourages community members to participate in a number of initiatives for another chance to win 1000 TRVL.
Contribute to the growth of the Dtravel ecosystem by participating in Departures: M2.
SuperHog Partnership
We’re proud to see media outlets covering our latest partnership SUPERHOG, an industry leader in short-term rental trust and protection.
This partnership represents a major step forward in trust and safety for vacation rental operators focused on growing direct bookings. Read about the coverage below:
Dtravel at HUMANS
Cynthia was asked to give a talk to the founders that were part of the HUMANS Accelerator about creating a go-to-market strategy and launching a product in web3. These events continue to help to build Dtravel’s brand and credibility as a thought leader and builder in the web3 space.
What’s Next
- Ability to create a direct booking site by importing listing data from Airbnb
- Google Vacation Rentals integration
- Promo codes to help incentivize more bookings
- Add-ons to help drive more ancillary revenue
- Personalized booking terms & privacy policy
- Optimize SEO and improve direct booking site discoverability
- Property Management pages for all Dtravel Direct users
- Property manager referral program
- New channel manager integration unlocking more PMS connectivity
Direct Booking Sites Primed for Distribution
We're making it easy for vacation rental operators to start and grow their direct booking business. To do this, we're not only focused on improving the features that come with Dtravel Direct, but also how we can help property managers drive more bookings.
Create a premium direct booking site with Dtravel Direct in minutes and get ready for our distribution network.