Vacasa completes direct API integration with Google for listings
US: Vacation rental management platform Vacasa has announced that it has launched a direct application programming interface (API) integration with Google.
In doing so, Vacasa becomes the first vacation rental management brand to successfully complete a direct API integration with Google, meaning guests will now be able to search and book vacation homes managed by Vacasa on the search engine.
According to a recent study conducted by RBC Capital Markets, approximately 48 per cent of travellers opted to stay at a vacation rental in the past 12 months.
Given this shift in travel preferences, Google is expanding its offering to provide guests with alternative accommodations to meet the demand. As part of its hotel search function, vacation rentals will now appear in an interactive map where travellers can move throughout the desired region to view what is available.
Vacasa founder and CEO, Eric Breon, said: “Partnering with Google [through the API integration] to make the homes we manage available through the search engine is yet another way for us to drive exceptional financial returns for our homeowners. Travellers who are accustomed to staying in a hotel may now consider alternative accommodations, such as a Vacasa vacation rental, as our unique, professionally managed rentals will appear within their Google search.”
Guests who utilise Google to book a vacation home will be directed to the Vacasa website here, where the platform claims to guarantee they will receive the best price. Homeowners will continue to earn revenue for their homes through listing on vacasa.com, as well as through the company’s booking relationships with leading online travel agencies [OTAs] including Airbnb, Vrbo, Expedia and Booking.com.
In July, Vacasa signed a definitive agreement to purchase Wyndham Vacation Rentals from Wyndham Destinations, which will increase the former’s inventory by 9,000 vacation homes across the United States and Canada. Once the Wyndham Vacation Rentals inventory is migrated to Vacasa, they will also be available through Google’s travel search.
