In this article we want to help you understand how and why OTAs are your biggest friend when you are trying to book your property rooms. Here are some interesting stats that might interest you:
- 76% of Online Booking happen via OTAs
- 20% of direct bookings come from people that have discovered your property through an OTA
- 52% of travelers that are making a hotel booking, will visit your hotel website after discovering you on an OTA.
Source: Pebble Design
What are the benefits? Why connect to OTAs?
Increased Global Exposure (Visibility):
Through OTAs, your hotel gets a wider exposure to travelers worldwide. Some recommended global OTAs include Agoda, Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb, and Tripadvisor.
Drive Traffic:
OTAs can actually drive traffic to your hotel’s website and therefore increase direct bookings. Travelers browsing on an online travel agency often will generally search for the hotel website to explore the standard of services you provide. 52% of travelers visit the hotel’s website after seeing the room listed on an OTA. By marking your prices lower on your booking engine than on the connected OTAs, you can funnel guests to direct reservations.
More Bookings:
The more exposure; the higher the number of bookings you get. More so, your ranking on the OTAs will also play a significant role here, making sure that your guests find you easily. And remember, more first time reservations equals more repeat customer opportunities.
Better Rankings, Better Reviews:
OTAs allow bookers to check out reviews and get an idea of your hotel’s services, eventually giving them a push to book with you. While a considerable number of guests go through the reviews before booking their stay, positive reviews will make you more visible through better rankings on the OTAs.
The Strategy
When hotels and properties collaborate effectively with OTAs, they will:
- reduce their inventories of unbooked rooms and boost revenue, especially during off-peak periods
- reinforce brand awareness
- benefit if travelers use OTAs for research before switching over to direct booking sites.
It is advisable to have a comprehensive strategy for your hotel’s online distribution which requires connections to a variety of channels. Without proper distribution management, you are likely to miss out on vast revenue opportunities.
Things to consider while developing your OTA connection strategy
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Property Location
- If you are a hostel in Netherlands, register on Gomio.com, or Hostelsclub.com to attract domestic guests from neighboring areas. Similarly, for international guests, Expedia, Booking.com are a popular choice. For backpackers; Hostelworld.com, Hostels.com and such likes are the right OTAs. -
Property Type
- Hotel, Hostel, B&B, Vacation Rental, etc. -
Industry niche
- Are you a high-end hotel in Europe? - Mr and Ms Smith
- Does your hotel offer adventures and tours? - Ctrip and Expedia -
Target Audience
-Define what type of visitors you would like to attract. Some example are: couples, big groups, young travelers, middle age business men. -
OTA Popularity in Specific Regions
- Philippines - Agoda
- Korea - AsiaYo
- India - Ingoibibo/Goibibo
