Gone are the days of queueing up at the local travel agent and having tired arms from carrying heavy travel brochures around. Gone are the days of putting all your trust in one single travel agent working solely on commission, thus making you question the accuracy of their claims. Online travel agent websites are definitely the way to go these days. You can browse hundreds of hotels and accommodation from the comfort of your own home with your beverage of choice on hand. Best of all, you have the chance to compare and contrast the different holidays on offer, meaning you truly get the best deal and the best value for your money. Here are the top five online travel agent websites you can't afford to not be on!
TripAdvisor
Take the rose tinted spectacles off and get onto TripAdvisor – you won’t get a truer review of a hotel or holiday than on TripAdvisor. The great thing about TripAdvisor is that it’s run by your customers, i.e. the holiday goers; this cuts out the fancy promotional jargon and talks about the real info they really want to know. Is the beach really a two minute walk away from the hotel? Is the holiday really all-inclusive or do they charge you for sneaky additional extras such as bottled water or certain types of alcohol? What are the local restaurants really like? Should we be worried about food poisoning? Is your hotel entertainment as good as you say it is? Make sure you give accurate answers to these questions and listen to your customer feedback. If you get yourself listed on TripAdvisor your bookings are sure to go through the roof!
Visit TripAdvisor
Expedia
Expedia, another popular OTA. There’s a reason Expedia has been ranked the Number 1 leader in travel! It does all the hard work for the customer which is why more and more of your prospects are using it to search for accommodation. From flights to hotels to transfers and even activities, Expedia really has your prospects covered by searching through absolutely everything.
If you don't have a profile listing for your accommodation on Expedia then you truly are missing out on a huge amount of prospects! Make sure your profile is always kept up to date with latest images, prices and information. Also, try and outshine your competitors at every opportunity! If they have an offer on, go one better.
Visit Expedia
Laterooms
Laterooms claim to have 200,000 users every single day – this is a user base you just cannot ignore!
Visit Laterooms
Priceline
Priceline does exactly what it says on the tin – it focuses on the price, primarily making sure travellers get the best price for their flights, hotels and even transport.
If you are able to offer some low booking prices on accommodation that you need to fill then this is the place to do so!
Visit Priceline
Booking.com
Booking.com is actually operated by Priceline, which should be a comforting fact since you know you’re going to get a lot of customers looking for good deals, meaning you can max your occupancy quicker! Booking.com however focuses more on the hotels, so if you are a large hotel owner then it could be the perfect place to advertise your rooms!
Visit Booking.com
Conclusion
In summary, if you aren't on any of the above OTA's then you need to be! For a hotel, guest house or bed and breakfast, there really is no better way to getting more bookings and maxing your occupancy.
Gone are the days of queueing up at the local travel agent and having tired arms from carrying heavy travel brochures around. Gone are the days of putting all your trust in one single travel agent working solely on commission, thus making you question the accuracy of their claims. Online travel agent websites are definitely the way to go these days. You can browse hundreds of hotels and accommodation from the comfort of your own home with your beverage of choice on hand. Best of all, you have the chance to compare and contrast the different holidays on offer, meaning you truly get the best deal and the best value for your money. Here are the top five online travel agent websites you can't afford to not be on!
TripAdvisor
Take the rose tinted spectacles off and get onto TripAdvisor – you won’t get a truer review of a hotel or holiday than on TripAdvisor. The great thing about TripAdvisor is that it’s run by your customers, i.e. the holiday goers; this cuts out the fancy promotional jargon and talks about the real info they really want to know. Is the beach really a two minute walk away from the hotel? Is the holiday really all-inclusive or do they charge you for sneaky additional extras such as bottled water or certain types of alcohol? What are the local restaurants really like? Should we be worried about food poisoning? Is your hotel entertainment as good as you say it is? Make sure you give accurate answers to these questions and listen to your customer feedback. If you get yourself listed on TripAdvisor your bookings are sure to go through the roof!
Visit TripAdvisor
Expedia
Expedia, another popular OTA. There’s a reason Expedia has been ranked the Number 1 leader in travel! It does all the hard work for the customer which is why more and more of your prospects are using it to search for accommodation. From flights to hotels to transfers and even activities, Expedia really has your prospects covered by searching through absolutely everything.
If you don't have a profile listing for your accommodation on Expedia then you truly are missing out on a huge amount of prospects! Make sure your profile is always kept up to date with latest images, prices and information. Also, try and outshine your competitors at every opportunity! If they have an offer on, go one better.
Visit Expedia
Laterooms
Laterooms claim to have 200,000 users every single day – this is a user base you just cannot ignore!
Visit Laterooms
Priceline
Priceline does exactly what it says on the tin – it focuses on the price, primarily making sure travellers get the best price for their flights, hotels and even transport.
If you are able to offer some low booking prices on accommodation that you need to fill then this is the place to do so!
Visit Priceline
Booking.com
Booking.com is actually operated by Priceline, which should be a comforting fact since you know you’re going to get a lot of customers looking for good deals, meaning you can max your occupancy quicker! Booking.com however focuses more on the hotels, so if you are a large hotel owner then it could be the perfect place to advertise your rooms!
Visit Booking.com
Conclusion
In summary, if you aren't on any of the above OTA's then you need to be! For a hotel, guest house or bed and breakfast, there really is no better way to getting more bookings and maxing your occupancy.