Articles tagged “direct booking”

Ten years after Hilton, Marriott, and other chains began coaxing travelers to book directly, online travel agencies still control roughly the same slice of the pie. Yet the chains have won the economics: lower commissions, better contract terms, and stronger loyalty programs.

A Hyatt financial filing reveals how it's linking executive pay directly to its biggest open questions, such as direct channel share and whether lifestyle hotels deliver on the premium they promise.

The global car rental sector is a resilient $92 billion market, driven by leisure travel, with the Americas being the largest market. The sector is rapidly digitizing with 74% of bookings online, with direct bookings driving as much traction as intermediaries.

Everyone in corporate travel is trying to cut out the middleman, which is awkward because half the people in corporate travel are the middleman. Hilton's gained traction with a new program for small- and medium-sized businesses and easier processes for payments.

The idea of hotels partnering with ex-Googlers and DirectBooking trying to undercut OTAs is not without its ironies. Still, the concept of hotels working more closely with LLMs is one that could gain traction.

The global airline sector is in a growth phase, projected to reach $949 billion by 2026, driven by strong leisure demand and the significant rebound of business travel.

Expedia Group has long been a leader in B2B travel technology, but 2025 marks a turning point as the company seeks to clarify its solutions for partners looking to streamline operations, enhance traveler experiences, and seize new opportunities in digital transformation.

A new guide from Wunderkind shows how identity marketing helps hotels reclaim direct bookings by converting anonymous visitors into engaged guests, reducing OTA dependence, and boosting revenue.

Will hotel websites become the dominant distribution channel for hotels by 2030, leaving online travel agencies behind? It could certainly happen. However, there are reasons that scenario might not take place. Let's discuss this again in five years.

Today's podcast looks at quiet luxury, hotels' upgraded booking technologies, and the popularity of cooler destinations.