hospitalitytoday.com | 21
Begrudging OTAs for being good at
what they do is no reason to run to
the government urging unnecessary
regulations.
Not only would the implementation of
burdensome regulations on OTAs prove
harmful to the traveling consumer, but
it could also have a negative impact on
B&Bs and the benefits the travel industry
provides for local economies.
Leisure and business travellers benefit
greatly from the ability to search,
compare, and book travel through the
advanced technological solutions created
and deployed by today’s innovative and
popular online travel companies.
OTAs have created a vibrant marketplace
where suppliers are forced to compete
and consumers win.
OTAs created and maintain the online
marketplace for accommodations.
Without these platforms, consumers
would have to visit dozens or even
hundreds of websites and waste
valuable time making an informed
booking decision. As intermediaries, OTAs provide great
benefit to both suppliers and consumers.
They save consumers money and offer
them more choice by creating an open,
transparent marketplace where hotels,
inns and B&Bs compete on location, price
and amenities.
In that scenario, it is highly unlikely that
those consumers would stumble upon
Mr. Weston’s members. B&Bs benefit by showing up in search
results alongside major hotel brands
without having to spend thousands on
advertising.
Consumers rely on the convenience of
shopping across multiple travel brands
in a single place and statistics show they
continue to trust online travel companies
with their vacation and business travel
itineraries.
The reliability of independent booking
sites is why hundreds of thousands of
hotels, motels, inns and B&Bs around
the world continue willingly and
enthusiastically to partner with online
trav el companies.
Engagement with OTAs is voluntary.
The benefits are clear and present.
They put heads in beds and help B&Bs
market unsold inventory. They deliver
customers through the front doors of
hotels and B&Bs unlike any other channel
in e-commerce in any other industry.
Complaining about their prowess and
asking the government to investigate
and regulate OTAs for being good at what
they do is tantamount to damaging the
partner that empowers you to compete
better in the marketplace.
What do you think?
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