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Hospitality Industry Weekly Reads 26.05.17

May 26, 2017
Marina Mitrashov

This week’s reads tackle some controversial topics. We are focusing on OTA’s and how to work with them instead of against them. We kick off with Fig Cakar’s article on 9 proven ways to make OTAs work for you. We then move on to some interesting insights and statistics on working with travel bloggers as a part of your marketing strategy. We also share a comprehensive analysis of user behavior on mobile for research and on desktop for booking. And we finish with an answer to the question, why does Europe have fewer direct bookings than the USA?

Optimizing your online channels: 9 proven ways to make OTAs work for you

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Like Google, OTAs have their own algorithms to determine how hotels rank on their website. But one thing is clear: no visibility means no bookings. If you are an independent hotel, your key strategy should be convincing an OTA you can provide them with a higher return on investment (ROI).

Read on Hospitality Net

Trying to move beyond the divas, rookies and misconceptions of travel blogging

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The industry has always had mixed emotions when it comes to the world of travel blogging. Some brands have seen good results from working with bloggers, whilst others have questioned whether their investment would simply be better off ploughed back into instantly measurable digital marketing.

Here are some statistics to help you make up your mind on whether or not your hotel should use travel bloggers as a part of your marketing strategy.

Read on Tnooz

Phocuswright Europe: Mobile still to convert lookers to bookers

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Travelers' phones are still go-to devices for research about destinations and prices, but when it comes to purchasing, mobile is far behind in conversion. The study showed that 55% of smartphone users have at least one travel app on their phone, with OTAs being the most popular type of app. Younger travelers, aged 18 to 24, were found to be 1.5 times more likely to have a travel app than those aged 55 plus. Read the article for additional insights.

Read on Travolution

The Direct Booking War Is a Myth, at Least in Europe

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STR’s research highlights just how different the American hospitality industry is from the rest of the world. In the U.S., hotel companies have more power, as they control more of the market and are therefore able, through expensive advertising campaigns and lobbying, to try and wrestle some of the business back from intermediaries.

Read on Skift