What does OTAs means?
OTAs? You are probably wondering what does OTAs means and it basically refers to Online Travel Agency. To be more exact, they are websites that sell travel-related services online. We are talking about the fact that via OTAs you can book from hotel rooms to car rentals.
A singularity of these platforms is that before making the reservation, users can check real reviews from thousands of people. For this reason we can say that they act as a social network for the tourism sector.
Below we can see visually what percentage of purchases of services related to the travel sector were made via OTAs.
Benefits of advertising your property on OTAs
Equality of conditions and opportunities
You may have had in mind that OTAs are for the hotel industry, leaving behind other types of properties such as vacation rentals. However, the main advantage of listing your vacation home with an online travel agency is the equality of conditions and opportunities.
You should know that these online travel agencies are especially interesting for small properties or private owners. Belonging to a major chain does not guarantee you to be on the first page of an OTA. In fact, it is usually small and medium-sized hotels that have the best reviews and positioning.
Internationalisation
The best example of internationalisation of OTAs is clear: Yes, booking is an OTA.
Being present on a platform with a strong international presence, such as Booking, allows you to internationalise your accommodation without risk or initial investment. Your ad will enjoy the language support of the OTA itself and will give you visibility in other countries thanks to its own positioning.
Advertising
In the case of small establishments, or sometimes even in major chains, it is not usual for travellers to search you specifically by your name. However, once you enter the world of OTAs, your online presence will be greater and visits to your website will increase.
Keep in mind that you will indirectly be enjoying the services of large advertising agencies and marketing professionals, for free.
Security
If you have any problem with a client, you will always have the support of the platform through which you have rented your hosting. All of them have specific policies in this regard in case of theft, damage or any other mishap.
In case of cancellation, it will depend on the cancellation policy you have established, but you will always have a better chance of replacing a booking on an OTA, taking into account the traffic on the website.
As you can see OTAs benefits are several. Advertising your property and putting efforts to rank higher in this OTAs platforms is something very well recommended.
Leading OTAs worldwide
Booking
Booking has almost 29 million registered accommodations. Although initially focussed on hotels, it is now very popular among private owners of vacation rentals.
Booking is a pay-per-booking subscription. That is, the company takes a commission of between 15% and 17% for each booking made. This does not include cancellations or no-shows where the client has not paid.
Expedia
Expedia offers hotels and holiday homes. It was the pioneer of online travel agencies. It was launched in 1996 and has managed to stay in the market by expanding its services. On the same website, users can book a hotel, buy a plane ticket, rent a car or even buy tickets for amusement parks.
Expedia’s booking fee has recently dropped to around 20%. Again, it is only paid in case of an actual booking and there is no fixed subscription.
CTrip
This Chinese company specialising in hotels is one of the largest in the world. It was launched three years after Expedia and, following in its footsteps, is a multifunctional platform where you can buy many services in addition to airfare and accommodation.
Although they are still in the process of expanding in Spain, it is an online agency that you should take into account.
OTAs: Going for all-in-one platforms
By studying the cases of the main leading OTAs in the sector worldwide, we can draw a clear conclusion: Customers wants to obtain all the services related to their trip in the same place.
The saturation of travel websites specialised in a specific field, which wasted money and time for both users and advertisers, is over. Now your accommodation will gain more visibility and the possibilities of conversion will increase thanks to this type of multifunctional website.
Moreover, according to Google data, 20% of all traffic comes from mobile phones, something that will increase. Therefore, for the future, opt for OTAs that are responsive, i.e. that adapt well to mobile devices. Details that can make the difference between making a booking or not.
If in addition to increasing bookings in your holiday home thanks to the benefits offered by OTAs you want to give the best service to your guests, we recommend Chekin. A tool that automates the entire check-in process, from booking to check-out, allowing guests to complete the online check-in in less than a minute.
