Online Travel Agencies, also known as OTAs, are booking portals dedicated to the sale of services related to the tourism sector.
The most important and recognized OTAs gather information on properties of all types on their platforms: hotels, rural houses, hostels, etc. In this way, Internet users can directly choose dates and destinations, compare the prices and reviews of each establishment, and filter their searches according to their own criteria (location, price, reviews, services, etc.).
How do they work
OTAs act as intermediaries between the final guest and the service and accommodation providers, and only manage to earn money when a reservation is made.
They normally apply a commission of between 10% and 25% of the sale price. Although the commissions may seem very high. However, it should not be forgotten that OTAs provide providers with a secure platform to achieve more visibility and more sales of their products and services.
Benefits of advertising your accommodation on OTAs
International visibility. Advertising your accommodation in online travel agencies allows you to have an international reach. It eliminates geographical barriers and allows reaching users from all corners of the planet, given its international reach.
Generation of web traffic. OTAs manage to generate a large volume of web traffic, thanks to their investments in SEO and Marketing. Indirectly, you will enjoy the great investments in communication from the OTAs, which will drive a lot of traffic, for free, to your ad.
Confidence. This is the other great advantage of OTAs. Online travel agencies transmit confidence to users that what is advertised on these sites corresponds to reality. Lots of photos and descriptions, detailed services and, above all, hundreds of guest reviews.