In the first 10 months of 2011, Holiday Lettings estimates it has helped generate £540m worth of guest bookings for holiday home owners advertising their villas and apartments…

As more and more second home owners turn to holiday lets for extra income, Holiday Lettings reveals how demand for holiday rentals just keeps on growing.

Holidaylettings.co.uk reports a bumper 2011 that saw yet further growth in demand for holiday cottages and villas with pools amongst consumers as enthusiasm for more traditional holidays wanes.

In the first 10 months of 2011, demand for self catering accommodation grew 39 per cent year on year according to the leading holiday home website’s latest figures. As demand has soared, so has the choice of accommodation type and destination and as a result the income generated for second home owners is growing too. Second home owners are thought to have earned an estimated £540m this year.

Commenting on this trend, Kate Stinchcombe-Gillies of holidaylettings.co.uk said: “The holiday lets marketplace continues to ride the wave of the fastest growing sector in travel as more and more consumers turn to the flexibility, space and value for money offered by such accommodation. In turn, investors are reaping the rewards often far beyond those of traditional buy to lets, while still retaining some personal use of their property.”

Destinations topping the bill with holidaymakers, and therefore proving viable investment spots, range from the traditional to the adventurous. The Costa del Sol and all of the Canary Islands continue to have broad appeal with peak season demand as high as ever and golfing breaks helping to fill shoulder seasons. The appeal of rented apartments for city breaks seems increasingly popular with Paris, Nice, Vienna and Istanbul all experiencing significant growth in demand in 2011.

For more information, please feel free to contact holidaylettings.co.uk