Skift Take
In an effort to reduce costs, hotels wanting travelers to skip OTAs have increased marketing through social media to build brand awareness and attract travelers before they ever consult search engines.
Until recently, OTAs were rising in popularity for hotels too. They provided an obvious opportunity for promotion and a way to generate bookings without having to do your own online promotion. But things are starting to change.
A recent report by Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne and RateTiger suggests that hotels are refocusing on direct sales. It found that OTAs generate the majority of hotel bookings at 35% at the moment. However, the same hotels also reported their intention to move away from OTAs in favor of direct bookings.