AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 28, 2019 – Those dreaming of swapping their itchy winter wool for something scant and summery may be in for the trip of their lives. VRBO® — the website where you can rent vacation homes, cabins and condos — is offering a chance to win a vacation on a private island along with seven family members, besties or both.
VRBO’s Win the Island Sweepstakes, open through Feb. 28, 2019, comes with a stay on Kanu Island, a private isle complete with an ultra-luxe, ultra-large retreat off the coast of Placencia, Belize. Kanu Island is exclusively listed on VRBO.com and newly available to rent starting this summer. VRBO partnered with Vision Properties Belize to offer the ultimate prize package, which includes a $5,000 travel stipend; a weeklong stay in the island's five beach homes; 360-degree ocean views; a private chef, personal concierge and massage therapist; and acres of blissfully quiet beachfront all to enjoy with nary a stranger in sight.
The sweepstakes rings in VRBO’s Year of the Group Getaway. A recent survey,[1] conducted by Ipsos for VRBO, found that nearly half (44 percent) of Americans who traveled in 2018/plan to travel in 2019 will travel in groups with four or more people this year — and one-third (30 percent) of those respondents are going even bigger by traveling with seven people or more. What’s more, VRBO’s website and app data revealed that demand for bigger rental properties like castles and estates rose by 55 percent and 25 percent, respectively, over a recent 12-month period.[2]
“When we saw how many people were planning to travel in large groups this year, we could think of no better way to celebrate than by giving away the ultimate in group getaways,” said Melanie Fish, VRBO’s travel expert. “While an island may sound out of reach, it’s surprising how supersized accommodations like these can lower the rental cost per person dramatically, so you and your crew can stay in style without over-spending.”
To make it easy for travelers to plan a getaway for their crew, VRBO developed its own 2019 Group Getaway Collection: 20 larger-than-life properties ideal for group travel, with castles and private islands included.
[1] January 2019 Ipsos survey commissioned by VRBO with 1,067 respondents ages 18–34
[2] VRBO vacation rental demand, September 1, 2016- August 31, 2017 vs. September 1, 2017-August 31, 2018
