Saturday, November 16, 2013

OTA's..... Love them, Hate them.... it just depends...

I have to admit, I was, am, and will always remain cautious when it comes to OTA's in any of their forms.  Its not that I don't utilize them in specific markets and at specific times, but I have never quite bought into the "value" that they allegedly present.  That said, anyone who has worked with a property where I guide Revenue Management, will tell you.  I use OTA's effectivelySo to maximize revenue and opportunity.

Like anything in life, the value of an OTA depends.  It depends on the market, the season, current occupancies, your hotels rank in the market, your market segment, your brand and much more.  However, I don't think that most decision makers are examining how and when to use an OTA strategy for their property.  As hoteliers, we all want to increase rate and net revenue.  Yet we are funding a competitor who uses our revenue to compete against us with regards to prices for online advertising, SEO, and the latest loyalty programs.

So, my question to you is, what elements do you examine with regards to your OTA strategies, what metrics are you using to analyze their performance, and most importantly, who is managing the process.

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