Booking trends: Don’t ignore impact of GDSes

We've been having several discussions recently around bookings and some of the relating articles we've found are well worth a read. This one discusses how 2015 was a record year for bookings through global distribution systems, the channel used when guests book through traditional travel agents. Surprising? Apparently it was predicted that travel agent bookings were bound to decline.

One of our most recent articles covered how Google Hotel Finder meant customers can find and book a hotel room without leaving google, entirely cutting out the OTA. We also wrote one discussing with a client how they would like to see less of OTA's owning the guest relationship and more direct contact.

Understanding customer booking behaviour is crucial in foreseeing how your Hotel should market itself. We are firm believers in the mantra of 'make people's lives easier, and they will do business with you'. Find a way to present your business to the customer in a way which makes their life (in this case their booking process) as simple and easy as possible. Google have found a way to do this, so jump on board. Build relationships with booking partners that make your customer's experience a great one from the start.