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The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics have just begun, and statistics may be circulating online to show the importance of major events for business activity. Yet, the statistics are clear: we are seeing a 20% decrease in volume compared to the same period in 2025.
Why is this precisely the case? Hotels and airlines undoubtedly benefit from additional volume, and possibly restaurants and trains as well.
But never for car rental companies. In the 25 years I've been in Revenue Management, I've always noticed a drop in business activity during these large crowd-gathering events. But why?
The reasons are numerous:
- Crowd movements do not encourage driving to sites, which are often concentrated in areas close to one another.
- Public transportation is well-organized, or even more efficient than during non-event periods.
- Security levels are at their maximum, which reassures foreigners when taking public transport.
- Prices are artificially and exaggeratedly inflated, but customer price elasticity has its limits (they also have to pay high prices for accommodation and food).
My Recommendation
- Set your prices reasonably—at an average or high-season level—but no higher.
- Define your strategy and the sensitivity criteria that will trigger it.
- Start low, following the increase in reservation loads. As soon as a first utilization threshold is reached, it will be time to start increasing prices moderately so as not to disrupt the flow.
- Measure the acceleration of demand (WeYield velocity indicator) and monitor the impact on the AI-powered forecasts that will calculate for you.
How to Get Started? Come visit us at ITB 2026 at the WeYield booth, Hall 7.1 C, stand 124.
Photo from Sebastian Staines on Unsplash
