Top online channels for 2022 – STAAH

By Kristin Mariano On Jan 19, 2023

Guest Contributor

Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TDM, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly

Global hotel technology giant, STAAH, has unveiled the list of distribution channels that brought the highest booking revenue to hotels in 2022. Major players Booking.com, Agoda and Traveloka top the global list at positions one, two and three respectively.

Coming out of the pandemic, STAAH Booking Engine maintained it’s position in the top 10 online booking channels for hoteliers across regions.

Airbnb continues to perform as a popular choice as more traditional hotel businesses adopting the channel over recent years, signifying the continued convergence of the hotel and short-term rental industries.

Regionally, Booking.com and direct bookings via STAAH were at the top spots for Australia and New Zealand, followed by Expedia. Not unsurprisingly, GoMMT continues to maintain a stronghold at the top spot in India, with Booking.com and Agoda at positions two and three.

The relevance of regional online channels in bookings is clearly visible, particularly in countries with reduced international travel in the last few years. Traveloka, Tiket and MG Holidays are among the top 10 Malaysian channels with Ctrip and Hotelbeds making it to the top list in the Philippines. In the UK, along with Booking.com, Agoda, Expedia and Airbnb, and Mr & Mrs Smith were popular booking platforms.

The presence of wholesalers such as leading bedbank hotelbeds in the top 10 channels shows the importance of these channels in a property’s distribution mix.

“The pandemic has evolved travellers’ booking behaviours and preferences. Our data indicates accommodation providers across the board are leveraging a combination of traditional and new channels to attract guests for a more holistic and dynamic distribution, guest booking and revenue strategy,” says Tony Howlett, CEO of STAAH Ltd.

STAAH data also shows that hotels are more attracted to direct bookings as an increasing number of travelers make hotel websites a part of their booking journey.

“By leveraging STAAH’s dynamic pricing and inventory management features and combining with attractive incentives, our partners have been able to grow bookings through their websites (direct bookings),” says Tony.

“Expanded metasearch strategies, including an important integration with Google Free Booking Links, has further helped fuel the growth of direct bookings.”

With hundreds of distribution channels available, it can be challenging for properties to choose the right channel mix for optimal exposure across different regions and target audiences. “Our data is available to help accommodation providers make insightful choices on what combination of channels (global, region, local and niche) could be most impactful for their distribution strategy,” adds Tony.