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A new era emerges in the short-term rental industry, as Orana Stay becomes the first and only digital guidebook company to partner with I-PRAC. Hosts who sign up for a…

As holiday season fast approaches, a rising number of short-term rental hosts are becoming I-PRAC accredited to differentiate themselves from fraudulent operators (who operate at peak volume this time of year). To make the process as straightforward as possible for hosts, we’ve recently updated I-PRAC’s online application form and launched a brand new 17-Step Members’ Guide. While the process remains thorough and meticulous - and we certainly cannot jump through any hoops - these updates will make life a lot easier; and hopefully, save applicants time. If you’re thinking of becoming I-PRAC accredited and leveraging your membership for more direct bookings this summer, then this guide should successfully walk you through the entire process. Remember, sometimes technical glitches do occur; and we always recommend that you clear your internet cache or try applying from a different internet browser if you experience any issues such as slow loading time and frozen screens.

This week, Money Reporter of The Telegraph, Madeleine Ross published a story about an unsuspecting guest almost getting conned out of £14,000 by what’s been referred to as an ‘Airbnb fraudster’. This story comes as part of the global spike in short-term rental fraud, as much of the industry prepares for the summer season - also known as, one of the busiest times of the year.

For the longest while, perhaps until very recently, the definition of data has been reduced to ‘numbers, statistics and analytics’. While this is more than a reasonable explanation, what it doesn’t do is address the impact of data on storytelling. American astrologer Carl Sagan once famously quoted ‘You have to know the past to understand the present’. Data has an extraordinary ability to tap into past events and consequently, drive narratives that are not only insightful, but accurate too. As such, I-PRAC’s Register Booking system is paving the way in the above for the short-term rental industry. What more and more people are beginning to realise, is that our brand is growing on a goldmine of data - data that will be massively valuable to ourselves (and our partners) over the near future.

Think of every guest who visits your direct bookings website as a problem solver. They’ve made contact with your brand because they have a specific need - and they’re ready to spend money to solve it. You have the guest’s attention; but the question is, how do you ensure you don’t lose it?

There’s a steady and reassuring uptake on verification badges for companies across the board. However, these accreditations have also welcomed criticism - mostly from operators who are doubtful of the immediate ‘need’ to prove themselves as legitimate. After all, if they know for certain that they’re running their business in-line with the law, then what good does spending additional money to confirm something that is supposedly ‘obvious’ to them going to achieve, right? Wrong. The problem is, not only is this mindset dangerously self-indulgent (and by ‘dangerously’, we mean it’s costing businesses money), it does nothing to address the concerns of consumers. This article explains why.