Ranking of the most used reservation channels in 2018
7 May, 2019
The appearance of OTAs such as Booking or Expedia has changed travellers’ consumption patterns. In the past, hotel reservations were mostly made through travel agencies or tourist offices. If a traveller wished to book an establishment by himself, he had to call by phone or send a letter. Thus, the reservation paths were very poor. The development of the Internet has opened the door to new alternatives.OTA: a new way to book a stay online.
Les OTA : new way to book a stay online
Nearly 93% of travellers consult the Internet to find accommodation according to Le Figaro. This tool benefits both hoteliers and gîte owners but also guests. Initially, this allows a better visibility and reputation for the establishments. As for travellers, the Internet allows them to search, compare and book their stay in just a few clicks.
A study conducted by Carat Manchester found a 13% growth in online hotel bookings in 2018 compared to 2017. At the same time, the number of trips to Europe has been growing steadily in recent years. France, Spain, Germany, England and Italy are in the top 10 most visited destinations in 2018 as this article shows. This makes it easier to understand why it is essential for accommodation owners to be present on the booking channels.
OTA ranking in 2018
A study revealed the ranking of the booking channels that generated the most revenue for the year 2018. We’ll let you take a look
|
Ranking |
OTA |
Country of origin |
|
1 |
Booking |
The Netherlands |
|
2 |
Expedia |
USA |
|
3 |
Official website of the |
|
|
4 |
Hotelbeds |
Spain |
|
5 |
GDS |
|
|
6 |
HRS |
Germany |
|
7 |
Hostelworld |
Ireland |
|
8 |
Agoda |
Singapore |
|
9 |
Infinite Hotel |
France |
|
10 |
Ctrip |
China |
|
11 |
Weekendesk |
France |
|
12 |
Hotusa |
Spain |
As the ranking shows, OTAs have been created all over the world. As a result, the consumption habits of travellers around the world have converged towards online booking. For example, the proportion of French people booking through an online travel agency has increased from 51% to 77% in 10 years according to a study conducted by eDreams. Establishment owners therefore need to adapt to the new expectations of travellers by proposing their offers online.
Different OTA according to the traveller’s expectations
Thanks to the diversity of OTAs, travellers today have many options for booking their stay online. It is therefore interesting for hoteliers to diversify their presence in distribution channels in order to reach a maximum number of customers.
Although Booking and Expedia remain the leaders, some platforms have decided to specialize their offers to stand out from the competition. This is the case with Hostelworld, offering youth hostels and a weekend camp specialising in booking short breaks. Thus, hoteliers have the possibility to offer their rooms on the platforms they deem suitable for their offers. This allows them to target a particular type of clientele.
Centralize reservations from the OTA
When making offers on multiple OTAs, hoteliers must manually update the different schedules to avoid double bookings. It is a long and tedious job that establishment owners do not necessarily have the time to take care of.
The Channel manager is a tool that helps to address this issue. Through this system, establishment owners have access to all reservations made on the different OTAs. Room availability is automatically updated.
In addition to centralizing all bookings, the Channel Manager allows the establishment owner to manage each channel independently. It is free to set a different price depending on the booking platform. The Channel Manager is therefore an indispensable tool for a hotelier present on different OTAs. Discover the Channel manager created by Amenitiz by clicking here.
Booking a stay online has simplified access for travellers from all over the world. Thanks to OTAs, a customer can now book an accommodation in just a few clicks. The craze for these online booking agencies has contributed to the development of new platforms around the world. The ranking released in 2018 highlights the plurality of OTAs although Booking dominates the market. To stand out, some platforms specialize in offering a type of stay. An efficient solution to reach a specific clientele. If hoteliers advertise their offers on different OTAs, it is advisable to use a channel manager. This tool allows you to centralize reservations and manage each channel independently. A real time-saver for hoteliers!
If you would like to discover the Amenitz solution during a demonstration, please fill out the form below. We’ll get back to you soon!
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7 May, 2019
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