Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) such as Booking.com and Expedia are websites where travellers search, compare and book hotels, flights and other travel services. For hotels they are an important distribution channel: they bring visibility and reservations from markets a hotel would struggle to reach alone, in exchange for a commission on every booking.
Guests who book through an OTA still have questions before and during their stay. With chatlyn, messages from Booking.com reservations arrive in the same inbox as WhatsApp, email and webchat, so the team answers every guest in one place. On WhatsApp and webchat, AI-driven chatbots answer routine questions from the hotel's own knowledge and hand everything else to the team.
Once guests are in touch on the hotel's own channels, chatlyn keeps their stays from the PMS and their conversations in one guest profile. When a guest asks about a future stay, the AI guides them to the hotel's own booking engine to make their next booking there, which helps the hotel grow direct bookings and pay less commission over time.
How do Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) make money?
OTAs typically earn revenue through commissions or markups on bookings made through their platforms. They may also charge fees for premium services or advertising space.
What are the advantages of booking through an Online Travel Agency (OTA)?
Booking through an OTA offers several benefits, including access to a wide range of options, competitive prices, user reviews and ratings for informed decision-making, and convenient booking processes with secure payment options.
