The Smokies don’t slow down. Neither does the short-term rental market surrounding them.
Pigeon Forge is one of the most resilient vacation rental destinations in the country, a market that has weathered demand swings, platform shifts, and traveler behavior changes with the kind of consistency that draws operators in and keeps them invested. But resilient doesn’t mean static. And right now, something is shifting.
That was the undercurrent at Rise & Shine Pigeon Forge—the second stop in Inhabit’s 2026 event series—where property managers from across the Smokies region came together not to hear keynotes, but to talk through what’s actually happening on the ground.
The RentalGuardian team was there. Here’s what stood out.
The Smokies STR Market Is Changing Shape
Pigeon Forge and the surrounding Smokies corridor have long operated under a kind of gravitational pull—guests keep coming, cabins keep booking, and the market keeps absorbing new supply. But conversations at Rise & Shine revealed that the rhythm is changing.
Booking windows are compressing and expanding unpredictably. Demand patterns that operators could once count on by season are showing structural shifts, not just noise. And the pressure on direct booking channels is creating a real question about where guests are actually coming from, and—more importantly—where they’re going to look next.
What made these conversations valuable wasn’t the identification of a problem. Operators a
lready knew something was changing. It was the collective recognition that the answer isn’t to wait it out.
The operators in that room are moving. The question they brought was, “How do you move strategically instead of reactively?”
Where Guests Are Looking (It’s Not Where You Think)
One of the sharpest discussions at Rise & Shine Pigeon Forge centered on search and discovery—not rankings in the traditional sense— but the full picture of how a guest goes from “I want to go to the Smokies” to booking a specific property.
That journey has changed significantly. AI-powered search is now a real part of how travelers plan trips. Guests aren’t just typing into a search bar and scrolling results. They’re asking questions, reading AI-generated summaries, and making decisions based on content that may never include a direct link to your listing.
For STR operators, this isn’t a theoretical shift. It’s already happening. And it raises a risk that isn’t in any insurance policy: the risk of being invisible in the channels your guests are actually using.
Winning mentions and citations in AI search results requires a different approach than traditional SEO. It means having the kind of content, reviews, and digital footprint that gets referenced, not just ranked. Operators at Rise & Shine left with a clearer picture of how to build that presence without rebuilding everything from scratch.
The Cost of Reacting Too Late … or Too Fast
At RentalGuardian, we talk a lot about where risk lives in a short-term rental operation. Most operators think of risk in terms of property damage, guest incidents, or liability gaps. Those are real and important. But the riskiest position a property manager can be in heading into the back half of 2026 is operational paralysis—waiting for certainty that isn’t coming before making a move.
The flip side is equally dangerous: overhauling your entire operation in response to signals that may be seasonal rather than structural.
Rise & Shine Pigeon Forge put both failure modes on the table. The operators who are navigating this moment most effectively aren’t the ones with the biggest portfolios or the most technology. They’re the ones who have learned to distinguish between what needs to change now, what needs to be monitored, and what should stay exactly as-is.
That judgment is a skill, and it’s one that’s hard to develop in isolation. Having a room full of operators who are seeing the same signals and comparing notes is one of the fastest ways to calibrate it.
What Happened in the Room
Rise & Shine was built as a working session, not a watch session. That distinction matters.
There were no vendor pitches. No polished slides designed to make a product look inevitable. Just property managers in a room with their peers, a structured agenda, and enough trust in the format to say what’s actually happening at their companies.
That environment produces something different than a trade show or a webinar. It produces honesty. People talked about what’s not working. They pushed back on conventional advice. They shared workarounds that never made it into any industry report.
The RentalGuardian team came to listen as much as to contribute. The conversations we had reinforced something we see consistently as portfolios grow: the gap between what operators think their exposure is and what it actually is tends to widen as operations scale. Not because operators aren’t paying attention, but because the complexity scales faster than the systems designed to manage it.
Hearing how operators are thinking about that complexity in real time—what they’re building, what they’re outsourcing, what they’re delaying—gives us a sharper picture of where we need to show up better as a partner.
Three Things Operators Left With
Across sessions and table conversations, a few consistent takeaways emerged:
Understand how guests are finding you, not just how they’re booking. The discovery phase of the guest journey now includes channels that most operators aren’t measuring. Mapping that journey is the first step to showing up in the right places.
Small, targeted changes beat operational overhauls. The operators gaining the most traction right now aren’t the ones doing the most. They’re doing fewer things with more precision. Identifying the one or two levers with the highest impact is the work.
Know the difference between what’s in your control and what isn’t. Broader booking behavior shifts, platform algorithm changes, and AI-driven search evolution are all real. What you can control is how you prepare for them, i.e., the tightness of your operations, the depth of your guest relationships, and the coverage structures protecting what you’ve built.
That last point is where RentalGuardian lives. Not in predicting what the market will do, but in making sure that when conditions change (and they will) your operation has the foundation to absorb it.
What We’re Taking Back
Every Rise & Shine stop teaches us something specific about the operators in that market. Pigeon Forge was a reminder that the STR operators who are built for the long haul in a market like the Smokies are already thinking several moves ahead. They’re not panicking about the shifts. They’re pressure-testing their assumptions and adjusting accordingly.
That mindset is exactly where risk management fits. It’s not a reactive measure. It’s the foundation that makes proactive decision-making possible.
We’re grateful to the operators and partners who showed up in Pigeon Forge, brought their real questions, and made the conversation worth having.
If the themes from Pigeon Forge are ones you’re navigating in your own operation—shifting demand, coverage gaps, or just figuring out where your exposure actually lives—we’d love to continue the conversation.
Rise & Shine heads to Breckenridge next, with additional markets to follow.
If you’re a short-term rental operator who wants to walk away from a half-day event with a clearer picture of where your operation stands and where it needs to go, this is the event to be at.
There’s no agenda other than the one your market actually needs.
On May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines went dark. After 33 years of ultra-low-cost flying, the yellow planes were grounded overnight, all flights were canceled, customer service shut down, and roughly 17,000 employees were sent home. Tens of thousands of travelers were stranded mid-trip. Millions more were left holding tickets, vouchers, and loyalty points with no clear path to recovery.
For vacation rental property managers, the fallout did not stop at the airport. Guests with canceled inbound flights started reaching out within hours. Some asking for date changes, some asking for full refunds, all of them stressed. The Spirit shutdown is more than a sad chapter in U.S. aviation. It is a live demonstration of why travel protection matters, why timing matters even more, and why vacation rental operators who offer protection at the point of booking weather these moments far better than those who do not.
TL;DR: Key Takeaways for Property Managers
Spirit Airlines ceased operations on May 2, 2026, citing skyrocketing jet fuel prices after a $500 million federal bailout collapsed.
Guests who paid Spirit directly with a credit or debit card are getting automatic refunds; those who booked through agents, vouchers, or Free Spirit miles face a much harder road through bankruptcy court.
Spirit itself confirmed it will not reimburse hotels, replacement flights, or other incidental costs and pointed travelers directly to their travel insurance carriers.
Eligible Travel Guardian plans offered through RentalGuardian may provide trip cancellation, interruption, delay, and missed connection benefits for covered, non-airfare losses tied to the shutdown, such as prepaid, non-refundable lodging. Travel Guardian does not reimburse airline tickets, airfare, or airline-related fees.
Critical timing rule: because the Spirit shutdown is now a known (“foreseen”) event, policies issued on or after May 2, 2026 do not provide coverage related to this specific event. Encouraging guests to add protection at booking has never mattered more.
What Happened to Spirit Airlines?
Spirit Airlines announced an immediate wind-down at roughly 3:00 a.m. ET on May 2, 2026, after last-minute talks with the Trump administration on a $500 million rescue loan fell apart. CEO Dave Davis pointed to a “sudden and sustained rise in fuel prices.” Jet fuel topped $4 per gallon as the conflict in Iran disrupted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz as the final blow to a balance sheet that had already absorbed two Chapter 11 filings since late 2024. The result: a Chapter 7 liquidation and the largest U.S. commercial airline failure in roughly 25 years.
Spirit’s own shutdown notice is blunt: “All flights have been cancelled, and customer service is no longer available.” For full background and refund logistics, see U.S. News & World Report and USA Today.
How Spirit Is (and Isn’t) Refunding Travelers
How a guest gets their money back depends almost entirely on how they paid. Here is the plain-English breakdown:
Booked directly with a credit or debit card: Spirit is automatically refunding to the original form of payment. If a refund does not appear, the cardholder can file a chargeback under the Fair Credit Billing Act.
Booked through a travel agent or OTA: Travelers must contact that third party directly. Refunds will not be automatic.
Paid with vouchers, credits, or Free Spirit miles: These claims go through the bankruptcy court process. Recovery odds are low and timelines can stretch into months or years.
Hotels, replacement flights, and incidental costs: Spirit has confirmed it will not reimburse these expenses and is sending travelers directly to their travel insurance carriers.
“Spirit is unfortunately not able to reimburse Guests for incidental travel costs associated with cancelled trips. If you purchased travel insurance, check with your carrier to see if these expenses may be covered under your plan.” Spirit Airlines
Several carriers stepped in with capped “rescue fares”: United (through May 16), Delta (through May 7), JetBlue (through May 8), Southwest (through May 6), Frontier (50% off through May 10), American, and Allegiant. Details and eligibility are summarized by Gate Access via Yahoo.
Why an Airline Shutdown Becomes a Vacation Rental Problem
Airline failures rarely stay at the airport. The moment a flight is canceled, the trip starts unraveling and that ripple lands squarely on the operations team waiting for a guest to arrive.
For vacation rental property managers, an event like the Spirit shutdown typically means:
A surge of “can I cancel” and “can I move my dates” requests, often outside your stated cancellation window.
Pressure to grant exception refunds for situations completely outside your control.
Delayed or no-show arrivals that disrupt cleaning schedules and back-to-back bookings.
Difficult conversations with owners about lost revenue on already-blocked dates.
Reputation risk in reviews if guests feel “the property manager wouldn’t help.”
Operators who already offer travel protection at the point of booking have a different conversation. Instead of negotiating a refund the contract does not actually require, they can point guests to a covered claim and protect both the booking and the relationship.
Does Travel Insurance Cover an Airline Shutdown?
It can for certain covered, non-airfare costs, but the details matter. For travelers with eligible Travel Guardian protection underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company, certain benefits may apply to covered, non-airfare losses tied to Spirit’s closure and liquidation, such as prepaid, non-refundable lodging or ground transportation. Depending on the plan and state of residence, those benefits can include:
Trip Cancellation — reimbursement for covered prepaid, non-refundable trip costs (excluding airline tickets and airfare).
Trip Interruption — help recovering covered, non-airfare costs when a trip is cut short for a covered reason.
Trip Delay — reimbursement for eligible meals, lodging, and ground transportation during a covered delay (airline tickets and airfare are not reimbursed).
Missed Connection — coverage for eligible catch-up costs (such as ground transportation or lodging) when a covered disruption causes a missed onward connection. Travel Guardian does not pay for the replacement airline ticket itself.
A note on airfare:Travel Guardian protection does not reimburse airline tickets, airfare, or airline-related fees of any kind. Spirit Airlines refunds for the ticket itself must be pursued through Spirit, the issuing card, the booking agent, or the bankruptcy court. The benefits described below apply to other covered, non-airfare trip costs, subject to the plan.
The Critical “Foreseen Event” Rule (This Is the One Travelers Miss)
Travel insurance is designed to cover the unexpected. Once an event becomes publicly known, it stops being unforeseen and policies purchased after that point generally will not cover losses tied to it.
For the Spirit shutdown, the line in the sand is May 2, 2026. Travel protection plans issued on or after that date do not provide coverage related to the Spirit Airlines shutdown specifically. Plans purchased before that date may include coverage, subject to policy terms.
With vs. Without Travel Protection: The Guest Experience
Two guests can book the same Spirit flight and end up with very different outcomes. It comes down to whether they had protection in place before the shutdown was announced.
When Travel Insurance Isn’t Enough: Meet Booking Guardian
Travel protection pays the guest. But what about the operator and the homeowner left holding a canceled booking when guest insurance doesn’t apply or when there’s no policy at all? That’s where Booking Guardian comes in. Where Travel Guardian reimburses the traveler, Booking Guardian, currently available to Streamline VRS users, reimburses property managers.
Booking Guardian is a cancellation revenue protection product built specifically for property managers. It covers eligible guest cancellations that occur between roughly 60 and 3 days before check-in, exactly the window where last-minute disruptions like an airline shutdown hit hardest so you can offer the flexible cancellation policies guests want without absorbing the revenue hit yourself. Operators get paid, homeowners get paid, and difficult refund conversations get a lot shorter. Learn more on the Booking Guardian product page.
RentalGuardian was built for one industry: vacation rentals. That focus shows up in every part of the platform, from the integrations that drop protection into your existing booking flow, to the underwriting that recognizes how short-term rental trips actually work.
With RentalGuardian, property managers can:
Offer Travel Guardian protection with one of the broadest coverages in the global travel insurance industry.
Cover 30+ reasons for trip cancellation, interruption, and delay reimbursing up to 100% of eligible non-refundable, non-airfare costs (airline tickets and airfare are not reimbursed).
Add Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) flexibility that research shows can lift bookings 10–20%.
Integrate via API with most major vacation rental software systems so protection is offered automatically at booking.
Reduce difficult, case-by-case refund conversations when events outside your control disrupt guest travel.
Protect booking revenue (yours and your owners’) when disruptions would otherwise create exception-refund pressure.
The Bottom Line: Why Travel Protection Has to Come First
The Spirit Airlines shutdown is the kind of headline event that surprises everyone except the underwriters. Airlines fail. Weather hits. Guests get sick. The question is never whether disruption will happen… it is whether your guests are protected when it does, and whether your business is positioned to respond without absorbing the cost.
For property managers, the lesson is straightforward: protection has to be in front of the guest before the news breaks, not after. Offering Travel Guardian at the point of booking turns a stressful, confrontational moment into one where you can confidently point guests to a path forward and keep your revenue, your owners, and your reviews intact.
Protect Your Guests. Protect Your Revenue. Partner with RentalGuardian
Unexpected travel disruptions aren’t slowing down. The operators who handle them best are the ones who built protection into their booking flow before they needed it. See how RentalGuardian can do that for you.
Travel Guardian travel protection plans do not reimburse airline tickets, airfare, or airline-related fees. Coverage descriptions in this article are summary in nature. All benefits are subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions, and limitations of the plan and the traveler’s state of residence. Only licensed insurance agents can evaluate the adequacy of coverage for an individual situation.
The 2026 Inhabit Rise & Shine Series launched in Myrtle Beach with a clear signal to the short-term rental industry: growth is accelerating, but so is complexity.
For vacation rental operators, success in 2026 will depend less on scale and more on alignment across strategy, operations, and risk.
Rise & Shine exists to support that shift.
STR Industry Trends 2026: AI, Operations, and Complexity
Speakers from Inhabit’s STR division highlighted key shifts shaping the industry heading into 2026.
Core trends included:
Broader adoption of AI in vacation rental operations
Increasing competition across marketing channels
Higher guest expectations
Growing pressure on operational efficiency
The takeaway was simple. Complexity is now built into the STR landscape, requiring tighter execution and stronger alignment across teams.
AI in Vacation Rentals and Operational Efficiency
AI was a central topic, focused on real-world application rather than theory.
Key use cases included:
Guest communication automation
Workflow optimization
Revenue and pricing support through better data
Reduction of manual tasks
The focus is not more technology, but better integration that improves clarity and execution.
The strongest operators are simplifying systems, not expanding them.
Vacation Rental Risk Management: Where Growth Creates Exposure
As portfolios scale, risk becomes more distributed and less visible.
At RentalGuardian, this is a consistent pattern. Growth introduces exposure points that often go unnoticed until they impact operations.
Key risks discussed included:
Increased guest volume and liability exposure
Gaps created by rapid scaling
Fragmented technology systems
Misalignment across core functions
Growth is not only a performance challenge. It is also a risk management challenge.
Risk begins long before an incident. It starts in the gaps between systems and assumptions.
Less Noise, More Clarity
Rise & Shine is designed to remove distraction and focus on practical discussion.
With no fees, sales agenda, or promotional content, the format allows operators to focus on real challenges.
In Myrtle Beach, that created sharper thinking and clearer outcomes. Attendees left with:
Clear priorities for 2026
Actionable operational improvements
Better visibility into internal gaps
The value was not information volume. It was clarity of direction.
RentalGuardian on the Ground in Myrtle Beach
The RentalGuardian team attended the kickoff to engage directly with operators, partners, and peers across the STR industry.
The new Rise & Shine format was well received, creating space for focused and practical conversations.
From a RentalGuardian perspective, the event was also valuable for strengthening relationships and reconnecting with clients in person. It provided firsthand insight into how our products are supporting day-to-day operations and the impact they are having as businesses scale.
Across conversations, several themes emerged:
Balancing growth with operational control
Increasing adoption of AI in workflows
Focus on efficiency within property management systems
Growing awareness of risk exposure at scale
What stood out most was a mindset shift. Operators are no longer only focused on growth. They are focused on sustainable growth supported by stronger operational foundations.
Performance alone is no longer the only measure of success.
We will continue building on these conversations as the Rise & Shine series moves into new markets.
What’s Next for Rise & Shine
If Myrtle Beach is any indication, the Rise & Shine Series is just getting started.
We’re heading to Pigeon Forge and Breckenridge this summer, with additional locations to be announced. Register now for an upcoming event.
In 2026, the world doesn’t just watch. It travels!
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is more than a tournament. It’s a global movement. Fans don’t just attend matches—they follow teams across cities, extend trips, and turn a single game into a full-scale travel experience.
For vacation rental professionals, this is not business as usual. It’s a surge in demand, visibility, and opportunity, compressed into just a few weeks.
And the operators who prepare now won’t just benefit.
They’ll stand out.
A Surge Unlike Anything We’ve Seen
With matches hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the 2026 World Cup will bring millions of domestic and international travelers into North America.
But this isn’t passive tourism. It’s high-energy, high-intent travel.
Fans are:
Planning months (even years) in advance for the international traveler
Traveling in groups and families
Booking longer stays to follow match schedules
Willing to pay a premium for the right experience
For property managers, that translates to:
Extended booking windows
Higher nightly rates and booking values
The ability to outperform traditional seasonal demand
If your current strategy isn’t built for high-volume, high-value bookings, now is the time to rethink it.
New Guests, New Expectations
World Cup travelers are not your average guests, and that’s where the opportunity lies.
They’re experience driven, emotionally invested, and often traveling for a once-in-a-lifetime moment. At the same time, many will be:
First-time visitors to the U.S.
Unfamiliar with vacation rental processes
Less tolerant of friction, confusion, or uncertainty
This creates a powerful dynamic: higher excitement paired with higher expectations.
The property managers who win will deliver:
Clear, proactive communication
Seamless booking and check-in experiences
Confidence at every stage of the journey
Because when the trip matters this much, every detail matters more.
Evaluate your current guest journey. Are you creating confidence from the first click or leaving room for doubt?
Plan for the Unexpected—Before It Happens
With increased demand comes increased complexity.
More bookings mean:
More turnover
More moving parts
More financial exposure per reservation
And when something goes wrong during a high-value, time-sensitive trip, the impact is amplified.
That’s why leading operators are not just preparing for demand, they’re preparing for disruption by adopting solutions like RentalGuardian.
By embedding protection directly into the booking flow via API, you can:
Offer travel protection at the exact moment decisions are made
Reduce friction around cancellations, interruptions, and changes
Protect revenue during your most important booking window of the year
Because in a moment this big, confidence isn’t optional … it’s expected.
For current RentalGuardian clients, the World Cup is more than a demand surge; it’s a chance to fully activate your strategy.
If you’re not actively encouraging travelers to opt in, you’re missing both protection and incremental revenue.
RentalGuardian’s microsite offering allows you to:
Share a direct link for travel insurance purchases
Capture bookings before or after a reservation is made
Extend your reach beyond your property portfolio
Here’s what makes that powerful: A traveler does not have to stay in your property for you to benefit.
During a global event where travelers are constantly researching, comparing, and planning, your microsite becomes a standalone revenue channel—one that operates alongside your core business.
Email [email protected] and ask how to activate and promote your microsite now to capture demand before, during, and after the World Cup.
This Isn’t Just a Moment—It’s a Multiplier
The impact of the World Cup doesn’t end with the final match.
Global events like this elevate destinations, attract new traveler segments, and create long-term demand growth. Many visitors will return. Others will share their experiences widely.
And demand won’t be limited to host cities. It will expand into surrounding regions, secondary markets, and drive-to destinations across the country.
This is your opportunity to:
Reach new audiences
Build long-term brand recognition
Position your business for sustained growth beyond 2026
Use this moment to build a strategy that extends beyond short-term gains and supports long-term success.
Final Whistle
The 2026 World Cup will reward property managers who think bigger.
The difference between simply participating and truly capitalizing will come down to preparation.
Adopting protection.
Activating your tools.
Creating a seamless, confidence-first guest experience.
Because when the world shows up, your business needs to be ready for everything that comes with it.
Whether you’re exploring RentalGuardian for the first time or looking to get more from your current setup, now is the time to act. Prepare early, protect every booking, and turn this global moment into lasting growth.
Cancellations are a fact of life in the short-term rental industry. But lost revenue doesn’t have to be.
According to industry research, the average cancellation rate for short-term rental bookings sits between 15–20%, with spikes around peak travel seasons. Even worse? A large percentage of these cancellations fall within that frustrating 30-to-60-day window, too late to easily rebook and too early for most standard travel insurance to kick in.
While some insurance solutions exist to cover cancellation losses, they often come with steep deductibles that chip away at your recovery. Combine that with rigid policy terms, and it’s easy to see why many property managers choose to absorb the loss rather than deal with the red tape.
At RentalGuardian®, we knew there had to be a better way. That’s why we’re excited to introduce Booking Guardian, a smarter, more flexible solution built to protect your revenue without compromising the guest experience.
Guest cancellations made between 60 and 3 days before check-in are eligible for coverage.
A 20% deductible applies, but the deductible is waived if you rebook the unit for at least 50% of the original reservation value during the same dates. Multiple partial rebookings count toward that threshold.
Exclusions:
Named storm before booking: If there was a named storm in the area then the coverage won’t apply
Epidemic: Definition: A sudden outbreak of a disease that spreads rapidly in a specific area or population.
Pandemic: Definition: An epidemic that has spread across countries or continents, affecting a large number of people globally.
Endemic: Definition: A disease that is consistently present in a particular population or region, but usually at predictable and stable levels.
Why Booking Guardian Matters
Industry-wide, cancellations are on the rise, and guest expectations are shifting just as fast. In a 2023 survey, 71% of travelers said flexible cancellation policies influence their booking decisions, and listings with flexible terms tend to see higher conversion rates.
But flexibility comes with risk unless you have the right protection in place.
Booking Guardian bridges that gap. It helps you say “yes” to flexibility while keeping your bottom line secure.
Pair with RentalGuardian’s Full Coverage Suite
Booking Guardian is just the latest innovation in our all-in-one risk management platform, which also includes:
Damage Protection: Property and liability coverage for vacation rentals
Travel Protection: Guest trip protection for cancellation, delays, and interruptions
You’ve got big business goals for 2025, and RentalGuardian has proven practices for you and your team to better market and sell your travel protection benefits! Two vacation rental experts, our own John Slaughter and Bluetent’s Robyn Scott, recently gathered to share the best ways in which property managers can promote their business and travel protection.
Your business most likely already implements marketing as part of your overall business strategy. Now it’s about leveling up your existing marketing efforts through tactics like:
Yearly audits where you assess your marketing strategy, industry trends where your business fits, web content, and competitors;
Email scheduling for important timings within the booking cycle, including booking abandonment, pre-arrival, and post-departure, as well as booking anniversaries, off-season or long-term stays, and cancellations; and
Mobile-friendly email optimization.
For Those Wanting More:
Ready to up your travel and damage protection? Email our team at S[email protected], and let us enhance your bookings!
Every Rise & Shine stop teaches us something specific about the operators in that market. Pigeon Forge was a reminder that the STR operators who are built for the long haul in a market like the Smokies are already thinking several moves ahead. They’re not panicking about the shifts. They’re pressure-testing their assumptions and adjusting accordingly.
