Online Travel Agents

There are definitely two schools of thought when we talk to our hotel clients about Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and Global Distribution Systems (GDSs). Booking.com, lastminute.com, Expedia, laterooms.com...the list is endless but are they friend or foe? They can't be ignored and that's for sure.

Our experience in the tourism industry shows that the volume of hotel bookings made on OTAs and GDSs is significantly increasing. Crucially, a consumer will research 4 or 5 different online channels prior to making a booking. With this in mind, it is now even more important for hoteliers to consider selling their availability online.

It's undeniable, selling rooms on third party travel sites provides another channel to increase occupancy and increase revenue. That said, it's a tricky business and requires careful management.

"In times of weak demand OTAs are open 24/7, so utilise them! In buoyant times have a more strategic approach."
Tina Woodcock, Clockwork's Resident Late & Last Expert

Read our blog post for more top tips from Tina about how to manage Online Travel Agents.

Online Travel Agents, Bookings Online, Hotel Reservation Systems | Clockwork Marketing, Devon

HOW WE CAN HELP

We offer an online travel agent management service called Late and Last. We can assist you in establishing and strengthening your hotel’s distribution on all the major Online Travel Agents. We also have great relationships with the main OTAs and can use our extensive knowledge of tourism marketing to help improve your hotel’s ranking position on each of the online travel agent sites you are listed on. We can assist you by:

Recommending the best sites and portals for your individual hotel.
Setting up contracts and dealing with all the detail.
Managing your channel distribution alongside customer segmentation.
Growing your online revenue.
Managing your availability.
Practising rate parity.
Creating tactical offers.
Researching and analysing competitors' pricing structures and distribution.
Generating demand.
Gaining market share.
Communicating with Account Managers.
Acting as a very handy extension to your existing team.

HOW MUCH?

We offer both a fully managed service as well as training and consultancy sessions to enable you manage your OTA strategy in-house (or in-hotel!). Our costs are tailored to each individual property, so please give us a call or drop us a line to discuss your hotel's requirements in more detail.

Call us: 01803 872999 | Drop us a line: info@clock-work.co.uk