Booking.com: discount for those who canceled their stay due to the pandemic

Booking.com launches a campaign for customers in Italy who had to cancel their domestic bookings following the COVID-19 emergency. A discount is offered if they book at the same property.

After months of silence, Booking.com is back in the spotlight. This time, it launches an initiative aimed at encouraging customers in Italy who canceled their bookings due to the coronavirus emergency, offering them a discount if they book again at the same property.

“To encourage guests to rebook the same property” reads the note, “Booking.com will offer a 15% reward (up to a maximum value of 100 EUR) after the stay, valid for bookings made up to December 31, 2020, with check-out dates up to April 30, 2021. To further support its partner properties, Booking.com will waive the commission fees on all bookings included in the campaign. This announcement follows a series of initiatives designed to support partners during this difficult time, as people around the world are resuming travel, including the highlighting of precautionary measures that properties have implemented against COVID-19.

Another measure includes waiving commissions on canceled bookings as well as those with changed dates, or where a voucher has been issued following government-imposed travel restrictions in certain countries. These conditions will be applied retroactively, where applicable.

“Although these exceptional circumstances have temporarily paused travel, with these initiatives Booking.com hopes to help consumers in Italy actively support their favorite local accommodations and, at the same time, help partners secure new bookings for when it will be safer to explore the world again.

Booking.com has also introduced a tool to help partners make booking conditions more flexible, so that properties can benefit from travelers’ increased need for flexibility in these highly uncertain times. Everyone working in the travel industry shares the same goal: for the sector to survive this crisis,” says Arjan Dijk, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Booking.com. “We are working tirelessly to bring business to our partners, to inspire travelers, and to reward those who choose to support their country’s businesses, so that when the time comes, we can continue our mission to help everyone discover the world,” the press release concludes.