Goliday Sets Foot in the UK: Relaxed Regulations in Edinburgh and Booking.com’s Hottest Destinations for 2025

IN BRIEF Goliday has officially launched in the UK, offering a direct booking platform for short-term rentals. Plans for a B2C platform launching this year, creating a holiday rental marketplace with over 12,000 properties. Edinburgh City Council has eased licensing requirements for short-term rentals during the festival season, addressing accommodation scarcity. New licensing schemes in Scotland aim to regulate the sector and ensure guest safety. Booking.com has revealed the World’s Most Welcoming Cities for 2025, highlighting less saturated and culturally rich destinations. Shift towards offbeat locations aims to alleviate pressure on over-touristed areas and adapt to tightening regulations.

Summary: Goliday Expands, Edinburgh Eases Regulations, and Booking.com’s Top Picks for 2025

Goliday, an innovative Austro-French startup, has successfully debuted in the UK, launching a platform for direct booking websites focused on short-term rentals. The company aims to create a comprehensive marketplace similar to Airbnb, featuring over 12,000 rental properties. Meanwhile, Edinburgh City Council has temporarily relaxed licensing requirements for short-term rentals during the festival season, accommodating the surge of visitors while still enforcing rules for professional operators. In addition, Booking.com has unveiled its list of the most welcoming cities for 2025, highlighting emerging, offbeat destinations that stand out for their exceptional guest experiences, signaling a shift towards less saturated markets amidst evolving travel trends.

This article explores the recent entry of Goliday into the UK market, the implications of relaxed regulations for short-term rentals in Edinburgh, and highlights Booking.com‘s selection of the most welcoming destinations for 2025. It provides an overview of the changing landscape in the short-term rental sector, the expansion of direct booking platforms, and the evolving travel trends impacting future tourism experiences.

Goliday’s Entrance into the UK Market

Goliday, an innovative Austro-French startup focusing on direct booking website builders for short-term rentals, has officially expanded its operations into the UK. This strategic move reflects the growing demand for more control over property management and the reduction of reliance on major online travel agencies (OTAs) like Airbnb and Booking.com.

The company’s plans include the launch of its Goliday B2C platform within the year, which aims to create a competitive holiday rental marketplace akin to Airbnb, offering more than 12,000 rental properties sourced from its client base. This shift not only enhances the booking experience for travelers but also provides property managers with an opportunity to increase direct bookings, free from commission fees.

The Importance of Direct Bookings

For property managers, direct bookings have long been considered a critical, yet often elusive, objective. The commission fees imposed by OTAs can significantly diminish profits. In contrast, direct booking platforms like Goliday enable users to gain control over guest relationships and establish their brand identity.

However, challenges around website design and complex integrations often deter property managers from establishing their own sites. With Goliday, these obstacles are minimized, allowing users to create fully functional booking-ready websites in just a few minutes, without any technical expertise.

The platform also offers options for accepting direct payments without incurring commission fees, even under its free plan. While achieving visibility comparable to OTAs remains a hurdle, Goliday listings can gain exposure on platforms like Google Travel & Vacation Rentals. Yet, shifting the focus to effective marketing strategies remains crucial for driving bookings.

Challenges in Building Guest Trust

OTAs typically foster traveler confidence through established policies, support systems, and refund processes. In contrast, property managers relying on direct bookings must work diligently to cultivate guest trust and establish a credible presence in a competitive market.

Regulatory Changes in Edinburgh

In response to the rising demand for accommodation during the renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Edinburgh City Council has temporarily relaxed licensing requirements for short-term rentals (STRs). These measures aim to facilitate increased availability of rental property to accommodate the influx of performers and visitors drawn to one of the world’s largest cultural festivals held every August.

The decision to ease regulations comes after pressure from festival organizers and tourism stakeholders who highlighted a lack of available licensed STRs and hotels in the city. While local residents now find it easier to rent their homes, professional STR operators and bed & breakfasts (B&Bs) remain subject to the full licensing rules, maintaining a level of regulatory scrutiny.

The Need for STR Licensing in Scotland

Scotland introduced a licensing scheme for STRs in October 2022 to address housing concerns and enhance guest safety. However, the high costs, complex application processes, and strict planning regulations have made compliance particularly challenging, especially in Edinburgh’s bustling city center.

The Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) has voiced its opposition to the stringent licensing procedures, suggesting that the recent temporary relaxations demonstrate the flaws in the current system. Moreover, Airbnb has criticized the Council’s approach, indicating rising rents and hotel prices while reporting a 13% decline in guest bookings during the Festival due to a reduced supply of STRs.

Booking.com’s Hottest Destinations for 2025

In line with evolving travel trends, Booking.com has unveiled its list of the World’s Most Welcoming Cities for 2025, showcased through the Traveller Review Awards. This annual recognition emphasizes destinations known for outstanding hospitality and guest experiences, based on over 360 million verified customer reviews on the platform.

Unlike traditional rankings based on popularity or foot traffic, this list focuses on consistent positive guest reviews, highlighting hidden gems, nature retreats, and culturally rich towns. Featured locations include Sigiriya, Sri Lanka; Urubici, Brazil; Cazorla, Spain; and Orvieto, Italy.

Emerging Offbeat Destinations

Both Airbnb’s trending travel locations and Booking.com’s selected welcoming cities point towards a shift in demand towards less saturated, offbeat destinations. By shedding light on these spots, the initiatives likely aim to direct tourism flows to untapped markets, easing the burden on over-touristed regions while opening opportunities within areas facing fewer restrictions on STRs.

This evolving landscape calls for property managers to pivot their strategies, recognizing the potential for entering less saturated markets as regulations tighten in major tourist hubs. Rather than relying solely on OTA rankings, the analysis of booking trends, search volume, and revenue potential will allow property managers to identify opportunities aligned with their operational needs.

The landscape of travel and tourism continues to evolve rapidly, influenced by new market entrants like Goliday, changing regulations in destination hotspots like Edinburgh, and shifting traveler preferences as illustrated by the findings from Booking.com. Staying informed about these trends and adapting to the underlying changes ensures property managers and stakeholders remain relevant in an increasingly competitive industry.

Insights on Goliday’s UK Launch, Edinburgh’s Regulatory Changes, and 2025’s Most Welcoming Cities

Goliday has successfully entered the UK market, unveiling its innovative platform for short-term rental owners. This pioneering move is expected to have a profound impact on the landscape of direct bookings. Property managers are particularly excited about the promise of reduced commission fees and enhanced control over their guest relationships through direct booking websites. Users are now able to create fully functional websites within minutes, streamlining the process that often deters many from pursuing direct bookings.

Furthermore, Goliday’s upcoming B2C platform, which will feature over 12,000 rental properties, is set to create a competitive holiday rental marketplace similar to that of large players like Airbnb. The accessibility and user-friendly nature of the platform may transform the way travelers connect with properties, allowing for more genuine experiences and less reliance on third-party platforms.

In the realm of Edinburgh, recent changes in the short-term rental regulations during the festival season reflect the city’s responsiveness to tourist demands. Eased licensing requirements will allow local residents to rent their homes more easily, although professional operators still face the complete set of licensing rules. This balancing act between providing necessary accommodations during peak tourist events like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and regulating the market demonstrates the challenges local authorities encounter in catering to both visitors and residents. Hospitality stakeholders are optimistic that these temporary relaxations will lead to more balanced regulations in the future.

As the travel industry shifts its focus, booking trends have also emerged, highlighted in Booking.com, which recently unveiled its annual list of the Most Welcoming Cities for 2025. Unlike other rankings that prioritize sheer tourist numbers, this list focuses on exceptional hospitality based on verified customer reviews. By showcasing offbeat and nature-centric destinations like Sigiriya in Sri Lanka and Urubici in Brazil, Booking.com is redirecting traveler interest towards unique locales rather than overly saturated tourist hotspots.

Such trends present new opportunities for property managers to adapt their strategies in less competitive markets while providing guests with memorable experiences. With the industry’s evolution influenced by these emerging platforms and changing regulations, it’s vital for stakeholders to stay informed about the shifting dynamics of travel and its impact on hospitality management.