VRWS Leadership Interview of the Day
In approaching the 10th edition of the Vacation Rental World Summit, we’re releasing a series of interviews to leaders, key players and highly motivated people in our industry whose companies make a deep impact in our space and will be present at VRWS.
The aim is to get you some insight into these leaders and the company they founded, manage or work for, as well as getting some behind the scenes on their thinking, their motivation and their drive.
JASON ANASTASINIS
Describe your career in the vacation rental industry and how you reached your current position in the company.
Growing up, I always had a passion for travel. However, it was only after completing my masters in London and noticing the potential in the vacation rental market that I knew I had to explore this avenue. I saw an opportunity to provide property owners with income amidst the Greek property crisis and observed the increasing trend of Brits choosing villas and apartments for their holidays. This led me to realise the potential of using technology to bridge the gap between traditional real estate and the travel industry.
TravelStaytion was the first venture in my career. I recognised that the holiday rental experience needed greater consistency, something that individual owners couldn’t achieve without expert assistance. Despite having no prior tech experience, I understood the necessity of creating a platform to standardise the entire market, ensuring guests could enjoy a great stay every time. Determined to turn my vision into reality in 2012, I successfully launched TravelStaytion. Following that pivotal milestone, we dedicated substantial effort to get the market heartbeat and determine our product-market fit, we orchestrated the convergence of exceptional business and technical minds, and we built a solid growth culture.
In your opinion, what are the main current challenges in the vacation rental industry, and how do you think your company can help overcome them?
While the evolving regulatory panorama undoubtedly ranks as the foremost challenge, TravelStaytion has keenly recognized a spectrum of business-related hurdles right from its inception. We perceive Safety and Security, alongside the pivotal factor of Product Consistency as the core challenges and it’s reassuring that TravelStaytion has adeptly pinpointed these challenges since its nascent phase, and the solutions we currently offer are emblematic of best practices in the industry.
Maintaining consistent quality across a wide range of vacation rental properties remains a common challenge in the industry. At Travelstaytion we are proud of our high standards and provide a consistent product to our guests. Our onboarded owners offer entire properties only, provide local support and emergency assistance and boast an immaculate record of reliability, safety and customer satisfaction.
Safety and security rank as top priorities for travellers when booking vacation rentals. To ensure a secure rental experience, we have implemented various measures, including secure payment gateways, conducting background checks on both guests and hosts, virtual guest screening and validation, deposit handling and offering £2m insurance coverage.
What are your expectations for the 2023 edition of VRWS in Barcelona, and what makes you particularly interested in attending this specific edition?
This annual summit is a significant event in the vacation rental industry, bringing together key stakeholders, industry experts and innovators from around the world. There are several reasons why we are particularly interested in attending again this year.
Primarily, engaging with fellow professionals in the vacation rental sector, property owners, and technology providers may evolve to invaluable collaborations and synergistic endeavours. These alliances, in turn, have the capacity to improve our competitiveness and our offering towards travellers.
On the other hand, attending VRWS is a great opportunity to showcase Travelstaytion’s products and services. We can share our experiences and best practices, which will enhance Travelstaytion’s reputation in the vacation rental industry.
Moreover, Barcelona is a popular holiday destination and a vibrant hub for the industry. Attending this summit in Barcelona will allow us to explore further potential opportunities in the local market and expand our presence in Spain even more.
Could you provide a brief preview of what attendees can expect from your participation during the Vacation Rental World Summit?
TravelStaytion has grown to become a global leader in the holiday rental market. Through this growth, we can now share insights into our innovative distribution solutions and how they empower property owners and managers to reach a wider audience of travellers. This includes utilising strategic partnerships, cutting-edge technology, or effective marketing strategies.
Of course, pursuing collaboration opportunities is one of our top priorities. We look forward to exploring partnerships with property owners, managers and other industry professionals, showcasing how we support our partners in maximising bookings and revenue.
We look forward to our participation and we are excited about the opportunities that VRWS will bring.
You’ll have the opportunity to meet Jason directly at VRWS in Barcelona
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