Due to staff shortages and technological advancements, the residential recreation sector is increasingly faced with automated business processes. This is a relatively new field of expertise for recreation entrepreneurs, offering opportunities for efficiency, marketing, and even hospitality. One of the pioneers in this rapid technological development in holiday parks is Guy van Maanen of EEZZ. He updates us on the latest trends in this area.
There are a growing number of platforms where holiday parks present their offerings. Is it wise to make a small selection? Or are there also good opportunities to offer your selection across a wide range?
Guy: "Whether it's wise to be visible on many or just a few platforms depends heavily on the park's location and target audience. For each location, we consider the type of guest we want to reach and where this target audience is active. Based on that, we choose the most suitable channels. This might mean making a targeted, small selection, but sometimes it's more effective to broadly distribute the offering across multiple platforms. It's all about customization and strategic visibility, rather than just quantity."
What do you recommend regarding a pricing strategy? Keep prices the same everywhere? Or can you vary prices per platform?
Guy: "We work with a dynamic pricing model. This means we start with a standard price line, which is then automatically adjusted based on the period, occupancy rate, and other external factors. Think of holidays or times when many accommodations in the area are already fully booked – then the price increases slightly. If it's quieter, the price may also drop slightly. This way, we ensure a fair, competitive price that moves with the market, without requiring manual management from the landlord."
What are the benefits of dynamic pricing in the holiday park sector? Will it be fully automated? Or will an interim review (approval) by the provider still be required?
Guy: "Dynamic pricing offers a major advantage in the holiday park industry: it allows you to flexibly respond to supply and demand. By using a dynamic pricing system, we start with a fixed price line, which is automatically adjusted based on factors such as occupancy, booking time, and demand in the region. Prices increase during peak periods or holidays, and decrease when demand is lower—within predetermined margins, of course.
While this process is largely automated, we always keep a close eye on price trends. This ensures that prices remain realistic and in line with the available offerings, and remain attractive to guests. This combination of smart technology and human oversight makes the system extra powerful.
How do you maintain the balance between automating processes and offering a personal approach at a holiday park?
Guy: "At holiday parks, it's important to find the right balance between automation and personal attention. Automation helps us work more efficiently and provide a smooth guest experience. Think of automatically processing bookings, sending confirmation emails, check-in information, and newsletters. These processes run quickly, flawlessly, and ensure that guests always receive the right information on time."
We also utilize smart automation on the technical side. Think of dynamic pricing strategies, integrations with channel managers to synchronize availability and prices across various booking platforms, and automatic reporting for owners. These systems run largely in the background, but ensure the rental process remains up-to-date, transparent, and profitable.
At the same time, we value personal contact. That's why we choose to manually handle all guest inquiries, malfunction reports, and special requests. This way, we ensure every situation receives the attention it deserves. We also maintain a personal and accessible tone in our communication through our channels – guests speak with people, not robots or call centers abroad. When you contact us, you'll always speak with someone from our office.
Can you describe the "visual booking" trend? What added value does this offer the booking guest?
Guy: "The trend of visual booking capitalizes on the fact that guests are increasingly choosing based on images. While textual descriptions used to be the primary determining factor, photos are now the deciding factor. Guests want to be able to assess at a glance whether a property meets their needs. Good, clear, and atmospheric images are essential for this.
Professional photography (with good lighting, a clean layout, and without too many personal belongings) helps create a reliable, appealing image of what guests can expect. It's also important to visually demonstrate differences within the same type of accommodation. For example, an identical layout but a completely different view: one overlooking rolling hills, the other next to a forest. In that case, the difference should be immediately clear, so guests can make an informed choice.
The added value of visual booking lies in transparency and convenience: guests know in advance what to expect and can book faster and more effectively. This leads to higher conversion rates and satisfaction, because the experience meets expectations.
More and more business processes are being automated and integrated. Can you give one or two examples of recent developments that simplify these processes?
Guy: "Two developments are making a real difference for us. First, we work with channel managers. Holiday parks simply have to select which platforms they want to be visible on. We then automatically receive all the necessary data and can go live with rentals incredibly quickly. This means we no longer have to manage each platform separately; we can manage everything centrally. This saves time, prevents errors, and provides a better overview.
We also use a dynamic pricing model. Prices are automatically adjusted based on occupancy, season, and regional demand. This allows you to maximize revenue opportunities during busier periods, while remaining attractive to budget-conscious guests during quieter periods. This system is largely automatic, but we always monitor any adjustments.
With all those connections, you can start to lose track. How do you develop a flexible dashboard that still allows you to maintain that overview?
Guy: "That's certainly a challenge, especially when you're growing rapidly, as we've experienced in recent months. The number of connections and information flows increases, and with it the risk of noise or confusion.
Fortunately, we have an experienced team that knows exactly what's going on and which processes are critical. Simultaneously, we've started developing a completely new system, built from the ground up. Because we now have a clear understanding of where bottlenecks arise, we can immediately design this system smartly: flexible, scalable, and with insight in all the right places.
We ensure that important information is easily updated, and that parks themselves have access to their own relevant data. This way, we maintain an overview, remain agile, and are prepared for further growth and future integrations.
With thanks to: Guy van Maanen, Managing Director of EEZZ
What does EEZZ actually do?
Guy: “EEZZ takes care of the rental and management of holiday homes on your holiday park – from A to Z. Whether you are a project developer, operator, private owner or an Owners' Association: we offer a suitable solution.
In addition to full management, we also offer a tour operator model, where we focus purely on attracting bookings. We present the accommodations through our own channels and major international booking platforms. This way, we ensure additional visibility and bookings – without fixed costs.
How can EEZZ help you respond to automation trends?
Guy: "EEZZ is on top of automation trends in the residential recreation sector and has already developed several smart tools that work well with your existing reservation system. Consider, for example, our innovative tour operator model, where parks rent out through external platforms without losing control. Our services are also ideally equipped to introduce a sophisticated dynamic pricing system to your business."
More information: www.eezz.nl
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