Direct bookings are above pre-pandemic levels but growing more slowly than expected, with mobile emerging as a key channel for reservations
Oct 24, 2024
These are some of the key findings from H2c’s latest study, “The Hotel Direct Booking Acceleration,” to be released on October 30. The report explores the technologies and strategies that are shaping the future of direct bookings.
Key takeaways
- H2c found that direct online sales are stabilizing after a post-pandemic spike in 2022, with revenue growth in line with pre-COVID patterns and now on a “sustainable trajectory.” Online direct bookings will increase from 19 percent in 2019 to 21 percent in 2023.
- Mobile bookings are expected to continue to outpace desktop. Five years ago, mobile accounted for 36% of direct online revenue for participating hotels; last year, it rose to 42%, and H2c predicts that mobile could soon account for nearly half of all direct bookings.
- AI is becoming a critical element of direct booking strategies, helping hotels with personalization, chatbots, and yield management.
- The study surveyed 88 hotel chains of various sizes, representing 3,885 hotels and 578,653 rooms.
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