In the hotel industry, distribution methods have changed a lot and professionals in the sector have seen their distribution channels multiply.
NB: This is an article from WIHP
Hotel marketing has taken a turn that hotel owners must follow in order to increase the turnover of their establishment. Thanks to metasearch, travelers can plan their stays, check availability in real time, and decide whether or not to book on a hotel website or an OTA.
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What is metasearch ?
When a user performs a hotel search on a search engine, they will come across results from different websites. These are the results from meta search.
A metasearch (also called price comparison site) is a platform that compares the prices of a hotel posted on several websites. In other words, it makes a synthesis of the rates available online, in order to propose to the Internet user the best offer according to the chosen hotel, the selected dates and the duration of his stay.
Today, the main price comparison services are : Google Hotel Ads, Tripadvisor, Trivago, Kayak and Skyscanner.
These metasearch allow travelers to compare the offers of different actors, put online for the same hotel. Thus, web users can choose a hotel room while being sure to benefit from the best prices available.
Please note that metasearch engines are not to be confused with OTAs (Online Travel Agency) which offer travel or stay deals. The main OTAs competing with hotels are Booking.com and Expedia.
Why appear on metasearch?
Appearing on metasearch increases your traffic acquisition and gives you an additional distribution channel to compete with OTAs. Thus, promoting your hotel on price comparison sites is an excellent way to increase your direct sales.
In France, hotel websites are the third most important booking channel for hoteliers, so why neglect them?
Thanks to metasearch campaigns, you offer your future customers the possibility to book a hotel room directly on the booking engine of your website. You display the rates you have defined as well as your availability, all in real time for the user.
Appearing on metasearch will also allow you to get direct bookings and therefore increase the conversion rate of your hotel website along with your turnover.
