Why being community minded is the future of holiday letting
Holiday lets thrive when the communities around them thrive too. By investing in local events, conservation and culture across the South West, HolidayHost is building a co-hosting model that benefits owners, guests and the places we call home.
In the world of holiday letting, it is easy to get caught up in the data to measure success, occupancy rates, average booking values, and optimising listings. But at HolidayHost, we’ve always believed that a holiday home doesn’t exist inside a vacuum. It exists within a living, breathing community.
As we move through 2026, we are leaning more confidently into a simple truth: for a holiday property to truly thrive, the community around it must thrive too. This isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ ethos; it is the foundation of sustainable tourism and the key to long-term success for every owner we represent.
Investing in the places we love
You may have seen our HolidayHost name appearing on banners and programmes across the South West recently. From sponsoring the music at Salcombe Crabfest to our corporate support of Paignton Zoo, we are purposefully investing in the local events and organisations that make our regions so special.
Whether it’s advertising in the Fowey Literary Festival programme, supporting Wadebridge Cricket Club, or heading to the Royal Cornwall Show, our goal isn’t just ‘visibility.’ It’s about being truly community minded. When we support local school banners in Padstow or advertise in local magazines, we are helping to preserve the very culture that draws guests to rent a holiday let in our region in the first place.
Nurturing our community roots
Our mission is built on the belief that a holiday home should be a contributing member of its neighbourhood. We focus on nurturing community roots and a commitment to ensuring that tourism provides a meaningful, lasting benefit to the places we call home:
- Sustaining local life: direct financial support ensures that vital events, from cricket clubs to literary festivals, can continue to enrich local life for residents and visitors alike.
- Protecting the destination: by investing in conservation and local culture, we help preserve the very soul of the South West.
- Year-round vitality: our focus on sustainable, responsible letting helps keep high streets vibrant and businesses open, even outside the peak summer months.
- Shared success: when our communities are strong and well-resourced, they provide a better experience for guests and a more stable, premium environment for owners.
A note from the front line: Sharon Rogers, Torbay local host
Our local Hosts are the ones who see this impact first-hand. Sharon, our Host in Torbay, shares why our recent partnership with Paignton Zoo matters:
“HolidayHost being a corporate supporter of Paignton Zoo is about so much more than just a logo on a wall. The zoo is a landmark destination that defines our area and also provides vital conservation work. When local owners see us getting involved, they know their fees are helping to protect the very things that make Torbay a world-class destination. It’s about being truly community minded, and knowing that by staying locally, our guests are also part of a bigger, more sustainable story.”
Sharon Rogers, HolidayHost Torbay
Beyond the booking: a strategy for the future
To maximise holiday let income in 2026, you must look beyond the next check-in. Guests are increasingly savvy; they want to know that their stay isn’t hollowing out a community, but rather filling it with life.
By positioning your Devon short-term rental or Cornwall cottage as part of a community-focused brand, you gain a competitive edge. You aren’t just selling holiday accommodation; you are selling an authentic connection to a place that is loved and looked after.
Conclusion
Our wider mission at HolidayHost is to bring more wealth, prosperity and happiness to owners, Hosts, and the communities we serve. By pledging to be community minded and investing in local initiatives today, we ensure that the South West remains a vibrant, thriving place to live, work, and visit for generations to come.
It’s about being more than just a business; it’s about being a good neighbour.
Want your holiday home to be part of a community-minded brand? Find out more about our co-hosting services.
What community minded means for your holiday let
Being community minded means treating a holiday home as a contributing member of its neighbourhood, not a property in a vacuum. For HolidayHost, that means actively investing in the local events, organisations and culture that make each region special, so the community around every holiday let thrives alongside the property itself.
HolidayHost supports the South West through corporate sponsorship and local advertising. Recent examples include sponsoring the music at Salcombe Crabfest, corporate support of Paignton Zoo, advertising in the Fowey Literary Festival programme, supporting Wadebridge Cricket Club, attending the Royal Cornwall Show, and backing local school banners in Padstow.
A thriving community is the foundation of sustainable tourism. When a local area is well-resourced and protected, it provides a better experience for guests and a more stable, premium environment for owners. Community investment also helps keep high streets vibrant and businesses open year-round, supporting demand outside the peak summer months.
Yes. Guests are increasingly savvy and want to know their stay is not hollowing out a community. Positioning your Devon short-term rental or Cornwall cottage as part of a community-focused brand gives you a competitive edge, because you are selling an authentic connection to a place that is loved and looked after, not just holiday accommodation.
By partnering with HolidayHost, owners benefit from a model where part of the wider activity goes back into supporting events, conservation and culture across the regions where their properties sit. That means a portion of every fee helps preserve the very things, from coastal landscapes to landmark destinations, that make a property attractive to guests in the first place.
