That’s not only a chunk of revenue for a hotel to lose, it’s a potentially damaging blow to its online reputation. It’s also the reason so many hoteliers in APAC have decided to fight for more direct bookings.
That is exactly what Triptease tackles in the latest in its Spotlight onÉ report series. Spotlight onÉ Direct Bookings: Asia-Pacific charts the progress of the Direct Booking Movement in the region and where it might be headed next.
It examines parity with OTAs, one of the gateways to increasing direct bookings for hotels. Using data covering nearly 8 million online searches for hotel rooms across APAC, hoteliers can benchmark their performance against local rivals with a country-by-country breakdown of undercut rates. The numbers lay bare the problem of undercutting, with some countries seeing an average rate of around 30%.
With the input of industry experts and Triptease’s experience of working with 17,000 hotel partners worldwide, it also provides the best direct booking tips for hoteliers seeking a way to compete successfully with OTAs. For example, learn how to nail mobile with a responsive site and optimised paid search campaignsÑ a must for any hotelier in the region given that mobile bookings accounted for an estimated 37% of the total online travel market in APAC in 2017, according to Phocuswright.
There are also the secrets to customer relationship management, whether your hotel has an advanced automated system or a manually updated database. This could be crucial for winning over Asian millennials, a group that accounts for 60% of the world’s millennials and which craves personalised and unique experiences.
Read the report for all that and more, including advice for ending rogue distribution, perfecting the online guest experience and maximising metasearch.
There are many reasons to be hopeful about the future of the Direct Booking Movement in Asia-Pacific, not least the growing number of travellers heading there every day. Innovative hotels that make direct bookings a central part of their strategy will likely ensure that that future is a profitable one.
