Direct Bookings to Overtake OTAs by 2030

The direct booking future is becoming a reality! According to Skift...

Last week Skift released a new article predicting that the share of direct bookings will overtake that of the OTAs by 2030.

Fantastic!

That is what we all want.

A strong direct booking channel is fundamental to a hotels success. Without a strong direct channel, you aren't in control of your destiny.

The data presented by Skift compares 2019 to 2024 performance. If the data is accurate, it sure looks like things are trending in the right direction.

Read the full Skift article here.

Digital direct bookings have increased by $44B to $262B. This means that the direct channel falls just short of the OTAs $266B.

Based on this, it seems that it has been predicted that this shift will continue.

The prediction is that the direct digital channel will be $409B in 2030 eclipsing the OTAs $333B expected in that year.

Do I think this could happen? Yes.

The likeliness that it does happen? Low.

I think there are a few things to consider with this report.

2019 was a very different year to 2024.

Covid-19 drastically changed the travel market. Even though things have returned to 'normal', things are still very different to what they once were.

People travel in different ways, book in different ways as well as attitudes toward travel.

All this makes me question if this is a trend that is being reported or just a change in the new normal.

So what is going to happen?