Online Distribution Channels Experience Healthy Growth in First Quarter 2013
Growth on Online Channels Still Steady
In the first quarter 2013, online channels that include Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and hotel websites (Brand.com) continued to experience the most growth according to data from the TravelClick North American Distribution Review (NADR; Second Quarter 2013), which aggregates hotel bookings by channel for the transient segment (individual leisure and business travelers).
The OTA channel saw a 13.7 percent increase in demand in the first quarter while bookings through the Brand.com channel increased by 5.0 percent. The hotel direct channel, consisting of phone calls direct to the property and walk-ins, increased 3.7 percent. The GDS (used by travel agents) and CRS (calls to a hotel's 800-number) channels, however, showed decreases of -0.3 and -4.1 percent, respectively, from a year ago.
Average daily rates in Q1 across all channels grew 4.2 percent compared to last year. The OTA channel had the highest ADR growth of 11.0 percent. OTA ADR for Q2 is currently tracking ahead by 11.0 percent as well. ADR for the other channels is also growing, up 4.5 percent, 2.7 percent, 2.7 percent and 2.3 percent for CRS, Hotel Direct, GDS and Brand.com, respectively.
"As occupancy continues to grow across all segments, we are seeing a corresponding and expected growth in ADR, especially in the leisure segment." said Tim Hart, Executive Vice President, Business Intelligence, TravelClick. "With respect to the OTA segment, while we are seeing an uptick in transient demand for this channel, we are also seeing discounts narrowing. This combination ultimately means higher ADR for hotels."
About TravelClick, an Amadeus Company
TravelClick offers innovative, cloud-based and data-driven solutions for hotels around the globe to maximize revenue. TravelClick enables over 38,000 hoteliers to drive better business decisions and know, acquire, convert and retain guests. The Company's interconnected suite of solutions includes Business Intelligence, Reservations & Booking Engine, Media, Web & Video and Guest Management. As a trusted hotel partner with more than 30 years of industry experience, TravelClick operates in 176 countries, with local experts in 39 countries and 14 offices in New York, Atlanta, Bucharest, Chicago, Barcelona, Dubai, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, Ottawa, Paris, Shanghai and Singapore. Additionally, the Company fosters more than 600 travel-focused partnerships for hotels to leverage. Follow TravelClick on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
