According to HotelREZ Hotel & Resorts’ Independent Accommodation Insights Report, GDS is the dominant booking channel for independent hotel reservations worldwide.
The hotel representation company analysed data from over 2 500 hotels in 100 countries, including Europe, Australia, South Africa and the UAE, to better understand booking trends.
The report found that GDS bookings saw a 34,5% growth from 2022 to 2023. HotelREZ attributes the growth to a greater appreciation post-pandemic for travel agents in controlling costs, adhering strictly to corporate social responsibility requirements, sustainability and duty of care.
“GDS is often – incorrectly – regarded as a relic of travel, but it has been experiencing consistent growth in the last 10 years, up 51,2% in a decade,” said Mark Lewis, HotelREZ CEO.
The second most popular booking channel for hotels is direct web bookings, commonly used due to their low cost of sale. As confidence in travel grows in a post-pandemic world, direct bookings experienced growth of 22,53% from 2022 to 2023.
OTA booking channels came in third place with 39,5% growth from 2022 to 2023.
“With their global marketing spend and brand awareness you can be forgiven for thinking online travel agencies completely dominate the booking landscape. They certainly support visibility and building consumer awareness through a billboard effect, having a strong influence on guests’ research,” Lewis added.
