Accor direct sales thrive despite OTA surge

Accor direct sales thrive despite OTA surge
By admin


Accor claims to be holding its own in the accommodation distribution landscape, reporting a substantial increase in direct bookings despite the growing dominance of online travel agents in the sector.

While many hotel groups have been hit by greater proportions of business going through third-party websites, Accor revealed it is weathering the shift with a 27.4% increase in revenue from direct channels over the past 12 months, and double digit growth over the past three years.

“Online travel agencies have a strong presence in Australia and with their considerable marketing resources, their percentage of the overall market has grown substantially in the past decade, but it is very encouraging that the strength of the Accor brand name has helped the company grow its direct business at the same time," chief operating officer Simon McGrath said.

He attributed the strong performance in large part to its online digital presence.

Accor’s mobile applications and websites notched up over 10 million unique visitors last year and the Accor hotels website is rated as the top website for hotel groups in Australia, according to latest Experian Hitwise data.

The data revealed a 23% annual growth in website visits, with growth from mobile sources  leading the way through a 57% increase in bookings and 85% increase in revenue.

Meanwhile, its customer loyalty program Accor Advantage Plus is also playing an important role, according to McGrath.

“We are not only growing our loyalty base, we are succeeding in getting them to book more frequently and often for longer periods because we are offering a wider range of product – from exclusive dining experiences with celebrity chefs such as Pullman’s Justin North to package tours at Ayers  Rock Resort, with special inclusions” he said.

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