Running a property can be stressful especially if you don’t have the right tools to manage the day to day running of your property. It takes a good channel manager to help you manage the daily operations of your business with ease and to sell your rooms across all the booking channels that you are connected to at the same time.

There are two ways in which one can make a booking that is through online bookings with hotels and through Online Travel Agencies. Over the years we have seen online bookings becoming popular due to an increase in technology and most people have resorted to booking directly with accommodation holders as opposed to third party operators. According to a recent report, only 39 percent of all online travel sales are completed by OTAs. The remaining 61% of hotel reservations are made directly through hotel websites. As a result, it is clear that the modern hotel consumer is astute and prefers to make direct arrangements rather than relying on intermediators.

In as much as Channel Managers come in handy in the daily management of your property, ensuring that there is no double bookings across all booking sites that you are linked to, increasing sales and other benefits that come along using third party channels, it is important not overlook the impact of taking direct accommodation bookings on your website.

Here’s an insight as to why taking direct accommodation bookings is beneficial.

• Hotels can enhance their earnings by eliminating the 20 percent to 30 percent fee that third-party middlemen often impose. They can even transfer this profit margin on to customers, increasing customer loyalty.
• Room rates can be better managed, and reservations can be made straight from the hotel's website.
• Guests can be provided a virtual tour of the hotel on the hotel website, thereby giving them a better idea about the actual property.
• Increase your customer database, talk to them directly, and get them to do business with you again.

With the increase in technology, travellers have resorted to booking directly with property owners because most hotels and guest houses have improved their websites and one can get all the information they need from there. You can even do virtual tours of the property that you want to book without any third-party involvement.

If you are still relying on various booking channels to sell your rooms, think again about what you could be earning on direct accommodation bookings using your own booking engine. Don’t know where to start? Let us help you with that. Contact our Go4IT team who will build you a website and connect you to the right channel manager for your business.

Go4It Africa, your one-stop-shop for all your eCommerce solutions. We will provide you with the necessary tools for you to start making direct accommodation bookings today on your website.

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