HBAA voices frustration on hotel sector direct sell campaigns

10 April 2017 by
HBAA voices frustration on hotel sector direct sell campaigns

The trade association for the hotel booking agency, apartment and venue community, has supported the Guild of Travel Management Companies (GTMC's) criticism of hotel direct booking campaigns.

The GTMC launched an attack on the hotel industry's high-profile campaigns to promote direct selling last week, saying current tactics were "undermining" the B2B market, causing "significant dissatisfaction" with corporate buyers, and said hotels were "in danger of destroying their relationship" with TMCs.

Booking agency association the HBAA supported the claimed and said that hotels were creating confusion by promoting benefits for travellers who choose to book direct. It urged hotel suppliers to recognise that hotel booking agencies and TMCs deliver valuable business through extremely cost effective channels when compared to OTAs.

It also advised them to reposition their offering, to allow agencies access to the same terms when booking on behalf of their customers.

Juliet Price, consultant executive director for the HBAA said: "Our own agency members are similarly frustrated by the impact that this approach is having in the B2B marketplace. Whilst understanding that the hotels' efforts to encourage and entice direct bookings are aimed at those using OTAs, this strategy significantly undermines the value and advantages that the traditional agency sales channel delivers, as well as causing confusion for customers and corporate procurement."

Adam Woods, head of strategic relationships at Priority, an event planning and corporate hotel accommodation company, said: "Clients are concerned that not only does the ‘book direct' message directly challenge their travel and expense policies which are implemented to provide duty of care to employees both financially and in case of incident, but also the compliance issues of loyalty schemes where incentives can have implications for the company paying the bill."

GTMC criticises hotel sector direct sell campaigns >>

BHA welcomes reopened investigation into OTA practices >>

Hotels should embrace OTAs as affordable marketing tools, says business expert >>

Videos from The Caterer archives

Are you looking for a new role? See all the current hospitality vacancies available with The Caterer Jobs

The Caterer Breakfast Briefing Email

Start the working day with The Caterer’s free breakfast briefing email

Sign Up and manage your preferences below

Check mark icon
Thank you

You have successfully signed up for the Caterer Breakfast Briefing Email and will hear from us soon!

Jacobs Media is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more.

close

Ad Blocker detected

We have noticed you are using an adblocker and – although we support freedom of choice – we would like to ask you to enable ads on our site. They are an important revenue source which supports free access of our website's content, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

trade tracker pixel tracking