Uber became the latest player to enter the OTA space in its pursuit of the seamless journey with plans, which they just announced, to add flights, trains and hotels to its app, for the time being in the United Kingdom. This latest attempt to create a travel superapp , a full-blown OTA mobile app, comes in addition to similar incursions into OTA territory by Airbnb and Hopper, both of which have already added local experiences and contracted with channel managers like SiteMinder, RateGain and RateTiger to enable them to offer hotel bookings. Some hoteliers think that these new OTA-like superapps are good for the industry since they break the duopoly of Expedia and Booking.com. Others are skeptical and believe these moves will further erode the direct online channel.
OTA penetration fell drastically during COVID-19 as travelers reached out directly to suppliers to allay safety concerns. But, as we return to the new normal, initial indications are that OTAs are regaining their dominant position within travel distribution.
We are all aware of the many articles that stress the importance of storytelling by hotels. Today. we see some hotels and brands being active with blogs, posts on social media, and influencer initiatives.. a myriad of fragmented efforts on isolated islands of content. not connected or integrated into hotel websites or consumer booking journeys. That being said, we all agree that a well-executed storytelling strategy allows consumers to connect with a unique hotel or brand experience. What is it that hotels and brands could undertake to turn their storytelling content into an actionable asset-class in the discovery/search and booking journey?
As lockdowns start to lift, hotel bookings are beginning to pick up. Despite ongoing COVID concerns, people are eager to venture out again and this is very good news as long as travel is managed responsibly, with effective preventative measures in place. With positive signs now visible, lodging operators can look forward to and plan for increasing occupancy rates with more confidence. According to McKinsey s research, the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation by 10 years and today s travel consumers have become more digitally and tech-savvy than ever.
The recent announcement of Meta by Facebook along with Microsoft throwing their hat in the ring with Mesh is a clear indication of the virtual immersive experience that is coming to us faster than we anticipated. Maybe The Matrix is not so far in the future. However, even if the metaverse does not live up to the science-fiction dreams, it will become the key to digital experiences and a crucial element of the physical processes. While we can see immediate applicability of this technology in gaming and education, what can the hospitality industry expect from metaverse? In a world that offers unprecedented interoperability , Avatars could play an increasing role in leisure travel. From bookings and service provisions to selling properties, AR/VR and Avatars may replace physical staff or even manage a front office. If this were possible, the labour challenges within the industry could encourage the adoption of the metaverse faster than we expect. The business travel industry is made u