More Rooms are Booked Directly Through Individual Hotels Than Any Other Channel, According to TravelClick North American Distribution Review

NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Data from the July 2011 TravelClick North American Distribution Review, detailing hotel bookings by channel from Q1 2009 through December 31, 2011, reveals that during Q2, 2011, travelers booked more hotel rooms directly through a hotel's website or by calling a specific property  than booking through global distribution systems (GDS), online travel agent (OTA) or 1-800 numbers.  

According to TravelClick, one out of four hotel guests booked their room directly through a hotel's website, known as 'brand.com,' and 27 percent booked their room by calling the hotel directly, known as 'direct booking.'  These bookings accounted for more than half (52 percent) of all rooms booked in Q2, a four percent increase from the same period last year.  

During the same quarter, OTA bookings accounted for 12 percent of all hotel rooms booked, 1-800 numbers accounted for 17 percent and GDS bookings accounted for 19 percent.  Both the Web and the GDS channel experienced strong growth throughout the second quarter, 6 percent each, while voice fell 3 percent from last year.  

Looking ahead to Q3 and Q4, brand.com and direct bookings continue to remain strong with 31 percent of the rooms currently booked coming from brand.com and 21 percent of the rooms currently booked coming from direct bookings.  Room reservations for the two channels are up 6 percent compared with last year.  

Throughout Q3 and Q4, online (OTA) and traditional travel agencies (GDS) are also seeing growth over last year and are responsible for 22 percent of all bookings, an 8 percent increase from the same time last year.  Voice continues to fall in the third and fourth quarters, decreasing 1 percent from 2010.  

The data was compiled by TravelClick® (www.travelclick.com), the leader in hotel ecommerce and business intelligence solutions.  TravelClick's business intelligence division provides comprehensive, forward-looking market intelligence to the global travel industry.

"The strength in brand.com bookings reinforces the importance of creating a strong web presence for hotels big and small.  The hotel website is no longer a brochure to showcase the property and amenities, it is a significant revenue driver," said Tim Hart, Executive Vice President, Business Intelligence for TravelClick.  

Hart continued, "OTAs were up during the downturn because travelers were looking for discounted rates. Now that the economy is improving, traditional channel performance is improving."

The TravelClick North American Distribution Review is a quarterly report that focuses on demand performance of booking channels, segments of hotels and loyalty programs.  The report is based on reservation and committed group sales data by hotel companies participating in TravelClick's MarketVision Demand Position Product.  Participating hotels include Gaylord, Hilton, Hyatt, InterContinental, Loews, Marriott, Omni and Starwood. The data is collected in 25 major North American Markets, representing 202 million annual room nights and $27 billion in annual room revenue. TravelClick is the only business intelligence provider that provides comprehensive forward-looking data, based on real bookings, to hoteliers around the globe.

About TravelClick, Inc.

TravelClick (www.TravelClick.com) is the leading provider of revenue generating solutions for hoteliers across the globe. TravelClick offers hotels world-class reservation solutions, business intelligence products and comprehensive media and marketing solutions to help hotels grow their business. With local experts around the globe, we help more than 30,000 hotel clients in over 140 countries drive profitable room reservations through better revenue management decisions, proven reservation technology and innovative marketing. Since 1999, TravelClick has helped hotels leverage the web to effectively navigate the complex global distribution landscape. TravelClick has offices in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Barcelona, London, Dubai, Houston, Melbourne, Orlando, Shanghai, and Tokyo. Follow us on www.twitter.com/TravelClick and www.facebook.com/TravelClick.

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SOURCE TravelClick