How OTAs are Overshadowing Traditional Offline Travel Agencies
Airlines and hotels are experiencing a notable increase in booking coming from online travel agencies and at the same time, direct booking generated from direct booking from airlines and hotels are decreasing day by day. The sole reason behind the growth of indirect bookings from OTA is it proffers the user with an opportunity to search and select through multiple options on travel content. But when a customer visits the hotel or airline directly to make a purchase, it gives them only one option. The same goes with the traditional offline travel agency, where due to lack of resources a customer has to be satisfied with the limited edition of travel services. Offline travel agencies require an individual appointment to get information on available travel services, which is not in case with online travel agencies. OTAs are the aggregators of travel product suppliers and play the role of an intermediary between the suppliers and end-consumers. Travelers donu2019t want to visit the airport to book a ticket or vice versa and thus such OTAs come to rescue. In a research it was revealed that the 90% of millennial travelers prefer purchasing products online and when it comes to travel, they definitely donu2019t want to waste their time on standing in a queue to search for flights and book a ticket. Rather they prefer to sit in their comfort zone and get all information related to travel activity. From searching flights and comparing prices among several airlines, updates on their availability, hotel room facilities, searching for top destinations, local guide, transport services and many more activities can be done with a few simple clicks and that too at an affordable price. Looking at the ease of booking online, people are showing keen interest to utilize the perks of the online travel agencies. The travel and tour industry is rapidly growing and technology has played a crucial role in promoting this commercial sector. Travel agencies are approaching to online platform to amplify their business as well as easing the travel booking process. Almost all airlines and hotels are witnessing huge turnover for the last decade through the online travel agencies. So, if you ask which one is better- a traditional offline travel agency or an online travel agency, it would be the OTAs wearing the winning crown. Following are the reasons why OTAs are popular among the millennial travelers. u2022tCheap fares:Since OTA provides multiple options on travel content, so it becomes easy for the user to purchase the product which comparatively comes at a lower price. u2022tDeals and discounts:OTAs and airlines or hotels in order to promote their business and attract customers, provide alluring deals and discounts, which makes the price even lower, which is undoubtedly exciting deals, which needs to grab soon. u2022tUser-friendly: The interface of the website or mobile application of an OTA is designed in a way so that the user can easily get all the required features with a few clicks and get his work done in a few minutes. u2022tChoose the desired service:The needs and requirements of each traveler are different and in order to cater to the needs of the frequently changing demands, a travel agent should consolidate huge data from the largest inventories of airlines and hotels. When a visitor visits your site, they must get what they are looking for. If they find you reliable to get travel contents, they will make a comeback every time they need to make a booking. The thirst for travel and adventure is not going to de-escalate soon and thus the need of an OTA will remain the same. By approaching a travel portal development copmpany, OTAs can proliferate their business domain. Source:https://www.youwoch.com/articles/read/how-otas-are-overshadowing-traditional-offline-travel-agencies_52.html
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