Hotel websites ranked third among booking channels in 2020 after a surge in domestic trips spurred more direct bookings, according to SiteMinder.
Brad Haines, regional vice-president for Asia-Pacific at SiteMinder, a Sydney-based distribution hospitality platform provider, said the domestic market was one of the key factors influencing the trend.
As local residents are more familiar with the area they plan to visit, they can go directly to hotel websites that can better represent the hotel, its services and characteristics.
The government’s subsidy on hotel rooms called “We travel together” also supported strong growth in direct bookings.
On the other hand, when tourists travel to less familiar countries, they have to look at the broader range of accommodation providers, rather than seek out a specific hotel.
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