Public Online Travel Roundup, Full Year 2021

Summary

With swirling uncertainty still looming for the travel industry in 2021, online travel intermediaries made the best of the situation at hand. Lulls in infection rates induced travel spikes at various points, as bookings were often made on shorter notice than before. While gross bookings did not fully recover from the pandemic’s impact, many major players took the “downtime” as an opportunity to strategize, perform upgrades and rebrand. Advertising spend began rebounding in 2021 as OTAs expanded their offering types. Amidst the turmoil, new and alternative models (like short-term rental platforms and subscription services) continued making headway, signaling promise for the future. This analysis compares the performance of global online travel intermediaries from 2020 to 2021, including gross bookings, regional share and more.