News
Travellers Increase Direct Bookings On Hotel Websites
Hoteliers supplement declining, low margin GDS travel agent business with
higher profit direct business.
Recent hotel booking data highlights a 41% average increase in direct hotel website business in 2008 versus 2007. In contrast, GDS companies are reporting first-ever drops of 10% or more of business during the 2008 recession.
When you consider that 2007 was a fantastic year for hotels worldwide, and 2008 was a dismal year, this is an amazing trend: many hotels bucked the recession and booked more, high margin direct business in 2008 than 2007.
Taken together, declining GDS business and increased direct hotel website bookings clearly signal an accelerating shift of travellers’ preference to book rooms directly on hotel websites. Savvy hoteliers are turning to companies like Wigmas for solutions to meet this shifting demand.
Research also shows that over 70% of people who shop for a hotel on a travel site will leave the site in search of the hotel’s own website. It is imperative, therefore, that your hotel is well placed on the travel site, and that the customer is able to find your own site when they search for you. However, what about the rates and offers they see when they get to your site? Offering something novel or unique in comparison to the travel sites will allow you to capture a greater share of that direct business, thereby increasing your ADR.
For more information on how you can increase your direct online bookings, please contact us.
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