OTAs VS the modern traveler

For years tourism businesses have relied on OTAs to drive bookings.

But attracting bookings now and in the next few years will look very different.

As the modern traveler’s demands shift, so do their booking habits.

I’m not saying OTAs are going away.

They will always have their place.

Need to sort by price?

Find a hotel within walking distance of your event?

Direct compare prices between businesses?

OTAs are your best mate.

But it’s not the preferred way of discovering things to do and places to stay.

Potential travellers want to be inspired before booking.

They want to feel really good about clicking the 'Book now' button.

They want to explore the rooms, the experiences, the resort, the place, the people.

Guests can now envision how their trip is going to look and feel by searching for the place they're going on youtube, instagram and tiktok.

Not for curated feeds but for real photos that have been tagged from real guest.

Not just the image gallery on the businesses website or the 20 images on an OTA platform.

My wife just spent hours watching detailed Youtube videos for our upcoming holiday.

She gets to explore possible places to stay in unedited detail by guests (not influencers) who have a interest in recording their stay but have no incentive.

Because they're not being paid they don't have to tow the line - they showcase whatever they want.

But the OTAs are not silly.

They haven't built the biggest businesses in travel through a lack of innovation.