It’s been a little over a year since the major hotel companies initiated their direct booking offensive in an attempt to take away share from online travel agencies [OTAs] and other third-party distribution parties.
And in that time, quarter by quarter, hotel CEOs have told us they’ve seen significant changes in how consumers are choosing to book with them, and in how many travelers are signing up for their respective loyalty programs.
During the most recent round of earnings calls, that was no different, as hotel CEOs reiterated their belief in the value of direct booking pushes, whether in the form of multi-million-dollar campaigns or special loyalty member rates.
Now, with a year’s worth of data to rely on, most of those CEOs also seemed more confident than ever in the ability for these strategies to have an impact on bookings. The more aggressive tone CEOs adopted earlier last year has gradually faded and, as Skift noted in its 2017 Megatrends report, the conversation about the so-called direct booking wars has moved beyond an us-versus-them mentality.
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