2025 was a year of resilience and growth for Helpful Holidays. Despite wider economic challenges driving lower search volumes for self-catering stays, our Devon portfolio outperformed expectations, achieving higher occupancy than last year and delivering consistent revenue per property.
We’re proud to share our Holiday Letting Market Insights for 2026, drawn from our own booking and income data, as well as data from our parent company, Sykes Holiday Cottages. A detailed review of the South West’s holiday cottage industry, this report contains valuable insights into market trends, helping owners optimise their property’s potential and drive more bookings.
Read on for some of our key findings, or for a more detailed analysis, download your free copy of the full report.
Use the quick links below to learn more about a specific area of the holiday letting market:
Summary of the South West holiday letting market
- 80% summer occupancy: Following a challenging winter, our average occupancy during the peak summer period was 80%.
- Bookings per property up 3%: Overall, bookings per property increased by 3% in 2025.
- 34% last-minute bookings: A notable 34% of our bookings in Devon were made within four weeks of the holiday start date, a 4% increase from the previous year.
- 40% short breaks: Breaks of three, four or five nights accounted for 40% of our bookings, an 8% increase from 2024.
- 2% same day arrivals: Lead times for bookings are decreasing — 2% of August bookings were made on the holiday start date.
- Over 550 properties: We now manage a diverse portfolio of over 550 properties across the South West.
Top performing properties
Here are some of our highest performing properties for 2025:
- Rookwood, Drewsteignton, Devon: 64 bookings in 2025, 20 already for 2026.
- Crablake Farmhouse, Exminster, Devon: 57 bookings in 2025, 24 already for 2026.
- Tilly’s Cottage, Edington, Wiltshire: 57 bookings in 2025, 21 already for 2026
- Nempnett Farmhouse, Blagdon, Somerset: 47 bookings in 2025, 26 already for 2026
- Buster Barn, Samford Spinney, nr Tavistock 47 bookings in 2025 32 already for 2026
Bookings correct as of 15/12/25
Optimising your holiday let income
Allowing short breaks
Short breaks are increasingly popular, with 40% of our bookings in Devon being for three, four, or five nights. This has seen a rise from 32% in 2024. Offering short breaks can enhance your property’s appeal and increase revenue.
Did you know?
Two short breaks in place of one week-long booking returns on average 148% of the weekly rental. Our average short break is currently taken at 74% of the weekly rental price.
Flexibility with last-minute bookings
With 34% of bookings made within four weeks of the start date, being flexible with last-minute bookings can significantly boost your holiday let’s occupancy rates.
Pet-friendly properties
27% of all bookings in 2025 included a pet. Properties accepting pets earn on average 8% more bookings and 16% more revenue per year.
Optimise your pricing
Helpful Holidays offer dynamic pricing tools to help maximize your income. Properties that adopt our pricing recommendations see an average of 7 additional bookings and 26% more revenue per year.
Value-adding property features
Investing in popular features can help your property gain more bookings and income. Here are our most popular search and booking features in 2025:
- Pet friendly
- Hot tubs
- Large properties
- Sea views
- Swimming pools
- Wi-Fi
- Garden/Outside Space
Did you know?
Installing a hot tub could boost your revenue by 40%!
Emerging holiday letting trends for 2026
According to our annual survey of 1,000 adults, 63% of Brits plan to take a UK break in the next 12 months, and 34% are planning to make it their main holiday. This strong intent signals a positive outlook for 2026.
In 2025, we’ve seen some interesting shifts in Brits’ holiday preferences. We expect the following trends to shape holiday makers’ decisions in the year ahead:
- Two breaks are better than one: Almost half of those planning a staycation intend to take 2-3 UK breaks in 2026.
- Home advantage: 35% of UK adults are more likely to choose a UK holiday over going abroad, and 56% say UK holidays are easier to plan.
- Gen Z leads the way: In 2025, 71% of 18–28-year-olds planned to holiday in the UK, with nearly half choosing it as their main break.
- ‘Tastecations’ on the rise: A third of Brits have chosen a holiday destination for its local delicacies, or even a specific restaurant.
- Solo staycationing: One in three Brits say they’re more likely to take a solo break now than five years ago, showing a trend towards independence and self-care.
- A surge in AI usage: The number of customers finding our website through AI platforms rocketed in 2025, with 70% of UK holiday makers now using AI for holiday planning.
Marketing your holiday Home
At Helpful Holidays, we combine local expertise with the national reach of Sykes Holiday Cottages. In 2025, we spent £35 million on marketing, ensuring our properties had maximum exposure across all media channels.
All properties let with Helpful Holidays are also listed on the Sykes Holiday Cottages website. Sykes has the largest share of voice for brand searches amongst our four largest competitors in the industry, with over 3 million searches per year.
Help with letting your holiday property
Helpful Holidays’ 2026 Market Insights Report is an essential resource, filled with useful pointers for letting your holiday property, whether you’re an experienced owner or just thinking of buying.
To download a full copy of the report, complete the form below. Our team will also be in touch to answer any questions about letting with Helpful Holidays.
If you’re looking for more useful holiday letting blogs, visit our owner advice page for everything you need to know. From holiday let cost cutting tips to South West holiday let management, we have a range of guides to keep you informed and up to date.
