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iCal

iCal is a calendar format (.ics) that booking platforms publish and read from each other to share busy dates, without prices or guest data.

iCal refers to a calendar file in .ics format, shared as a link. Each platform publishes a listing's calendar and can import another's: a night booked on one side shows as blocked on the other. It is free, universal, and often the only way to connect a small platform that has no API.

Its limits

  • it carries only busy dates: no prices, no minimum stay, no guest details;
  • each platform reads it at its own pace: Airbnb says imported calendars update about every 3 hours;
  • during that delay, a night already sold elsewhere stays open, hence the risk of a double booking.

iCal is a safety net, not a replacement for an API connection. A channel manager connected by API to Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia closes a night within seconds and keeps iCal for other channels. RentDari reads iCal feeds about every 30 minutes and publishes its own link in return, which contains only busy dates, with no names or amounts: see iCal sync.

More terms from the glossary

The whole glossary

  • Individual accommodation form

    The individual accommodation form (“bulletin individuel d'hébergement”) is the form every guest of a tourist accommodation fills in and signs on arrival under article 37 of law 80-14; it is the official name of the police form.

  • Law 80-14

    Law 80-14 governs tourist establishments and other forms of tourist accommodation in Morocco: categories, operating authorization, classification, insurance and guest declaration.

  • MRE (Moroccans living abroad)

    MRE stands for “Marocains résidant à l'étranger”, Moroccans living abroad; many own a home in Morocco that they let as a short-term rental outside their own stays.