How the Pandemic Has Altered Hotel Booking Habits in Europe – Hotel Magazine

The fifth HOTREC Lodge distribution study has delivered new insights on the evolution of distribution channels employed to reserve lodge rooms, especially concentrating on the role of on-line vacation businesses (OTAs).

Virtually 3,900 European hoteliers of various areas, sizes and star scores provided responses covering the supply of reservations created for the duration of the 2021 pandemic 12 months. From the success, Professor Roland Schegg of HES-SO Valais-Wallis Institute of Tourism identified many essential traits:

  • Given that 2014, the share of immediate bookings has grown, predominantly through reservations manufactured via e-mail or websites of hoteliers.
  • Despite an raise in direct bookings, the information for 2021 showed that reliance on OTAs stays at similar amounts as in 2019.
  • Scheduling Holding is the most influential participant, with a share of 71.2 per cent in the OTA current market. About the previous 8 yrs, this has risen by above 11 proportion details, from 60. p.c to 71.2 per cent concerning 2013 and 2021.
  • Most hoteliers (55 per cent) truly feel pressured by OTAs to take platforms’ conditions and conditions that hotels would if not voluntarily not supply.
  • As of 2021, Lodge Adverts by Google is the meta-research market place chief (73 per cent), followed by Tripadvisor (57 percent) and Trivago (44 per cent). In 2013, formerly Tripadvisor led the industry with a usage share of 71 %.

 

Evolution of direct bookings and bookings via online intermediaries in Europe 2013 - 2021

Evolution of direct bookings and bookings through on the web intermediaries in Europe 2013 – 2021

“The improve in immediate bookings would be warmly welcome if it ended up not for the much more devastating impacts of the pandemic on the European lodge sector,” reported Markus Luthe, Chairman of the HOTREC Operating Group on Distribution and CEO of the German Resort Affiliation (IHA).

“Direct get in touch with with hoteliers was undeniably reassuring for travellers during the pandemic due to the fact certain issues and queries can be effortlessly dealt with by way of a basic cellular phone call or e mail. Critical reminder: these positive aspects of reserving directly are just as valid in typical occasions! We hope this craze persists through the restoration of tourism and hospitality.”

The full benefits of the analyze can be downloaded right here.