Independent short-term rental software startups have done well during the post-pandemic travel boom, but the market is starting to get tougher,

Hostfully announced Wednesday the launch of an artificial intelligence-powered communication tool that it said will cut down the time property managers use to address guest inquiries.

It's clear that vacation rental hosts and property managers crave direct bookings, and many may be making inroads. Still, the marketing power of big brands is tough to compete with.

ApartmentLove Integrates OwnerDirect.com with Hostfully Increasing Access to Short-Term Vacation Rentals Around the World

A detailed summary of many of the new and existing innovative technologies operating in the short-term rental sector across the US, UK and Europe

The study by Hostfully reveals that while there were more than 115,000 companies managing vacation rentals in 2018, this has now grown to more than 140,500.

Many hosts are turning to midterm or long-term accommodation options as demand for short-term lodging plummets.

While hotels certainly haven't shied away from voice tech, short-term vacation rentals appear to be innovating somewhat faster, pushing the envelope on everything from voice-activated smart-home integration to personalized guest recommendations.

Traditional business concepts of growth and revenue are an important part of value, but they’re not the only factors to consider. It’s worth it to take a step back and think holistically about the concept of value when considering how much your company is worth.

End-to-end property management platform Hostfully has released its Annual Hospitality Report for 2019, which aims to address the growing challenges and competition in vacation rental hospitality in a series of key takeaways.