Booking.com, Agoda and regional OTAs maintain stronghold. Big jump in direct bookings via STAAH SwiftBook, GDS makes a comeback.
Global hotel technology giant, STAAH, has revealed the top channels across its network of 19,000+ properties in the Southeast Asian region, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, and Singapore.
Indonesia
Top Channel 2023 Indonesia
Indonesia is another country where direct bookings saw a sharp lift by four spots to number four. The top three positions were maintained by Traveloka, Booking.com and Agoda. tiket.com and Trip.com remain amongst the preferred 10 online hotel booking channels. Following the global trend, GDS has made gains with STAAH GDS at number seven and WebBeds at the tenth spot.
Malaysia
Top Channel 2023 Malaysia
In Malaysia, Booking.com took over the top spot from Agoda, which slipped to the number two spot. Trip.com and Traveloka maintained their positions at three and five respectively, while tiket.com dropped to the seventh position. The biggest gain was made by STAAH SwiftBook (direct bookings), up three spots to number four. STAAH GDS made a re-entry into the top 10 list in 2023- and WebBeds moved up one spot to number nine.
Thailand
Top Channel 2023 Thailand
In Thailand, Booking.com, Agoda, Expedia and Hotelbeds retained their top four spots. Regional OTAs, Trip.com and tiket.com gained one spot each to number five and eight respectively. Traveloka and goMMT fell two spots each to number seven and number ten respectively. STAAH SwiftBook has moved up to the sixth place, reflecting a gain in its position compared to last year.
Philippines
Top Channel 2023 Philippines
In the Philippines, Agoda replaced Booking.com for the top spot while Expedia, Traveloka and Hotelbeds made gains. Direct bookings via STAAH SwiftBook were at number four, down from last year’s results but up in terms of total revenue generated via this channel. Airbnb lost one spot, ranking at number eight this year while Trip.com slipped four spots to number nine. Big gains made by WebBeds, up four spots to number six while STAAH GDS entered the top list on the number ten spot.
Singapore
Top Channel 2023 Singapore
Agoda rose two spots to number two in Singapore while Booking.com maintained the top spot. Regional OTAs, Trip.com, Traveloka and tiket.com maintained or gained on rankings in the top 10 list. Direct bookings via STAAH SwiftBook were down one spot to number eight and Airbnb made an entry at the number ten spot.
“It is encouraging to see the strong appetite for direct bookings by travellers in 2023, despite OTAs regaining ground,” says Michelle Yong, Senior Business Development Manager – STAAH.
Michelle adds that the growth in direct bookings is fuelled by guests seeing greater value on this channel as there are no commissions on bookings, they have a strong positive impact on the bottom line for hotels. “STAAH’s advanced features ensure that the hotel website remains competitive, also when the hoteliers use smart packages and promotions, it makes direct bookings with the hotel more attractive..”
About STAAH
STAAH is a New Zealand-based technology company that specialises in cloud-based channel management and booking engine for accommodation providers helping them maximise their online revenue. Founded by Gavin Jeddo in 2008, a pioneer in the field of distribution technology, STAAH’s industry-leading technology powers a property’s distribution through online travel agencies (OTA) and direct bookings. STAAH partners with over 19000+ properties across 90 countries through its operations in New Zealand, Australia, India, UAE, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Middle East, UK and Europe.