Book Direct Debate: Long- vs. Short-Run View

Summary

Debate over the value of online travel agencies (OTAs) and the impact on profitability of increasing direct bookings is endless. If OTA executives and lodging owners take a long-run versus short-run point of view, the debate might actually lead to a resolution.

On a global scale, Phocuswright research indicates that OTAs and their metasearch counterparts continue to capture an increasing share of online hotel bookings. This is despite significant efforts and expense by some chains and properties to shift OTA bookings to hotel-direct channels