SiteMinder Reveals Greece’s Top 2018 Hotel Booking Revenue Makers

Photo source: SiteMinder

SiteMinder, a leading hotel industry guest acquisition platform, on Tuesday unveiled its annual lists of the channels that brought the highest total booking revenue to hotels in Greece and other top travel destinations around the world in 2018.

Varying from direct hotel websites to a new host of third-party channels, the diversity of the lists this year reflects a rise in consumer choice that is forcing hotels to compete for business on more booking channels than ever before.

Greece

Regarding Greece, based on total gross revenue made for SiteMinder’s customers in the country, the top 12 hotel booking channels in 2018 were:

1. Booking.com
2. Expedia
3. Hotelbeds (incl. GTA + Tourico)
4. Global distribution systems
5. Hotel websites (direct bookings)
6. Agoda
7. Mr & Mrs Smith
8. Special Tours Wholesalers
9. Sunhotels
10. OTS Globe
11. HRS – Hotel Reservation Service
12. Destinations of the World.

“The number of trips taken to Greece reached 30 million last year, a rise of 88 percent from 10 years ago. While this growth presents opportunity, the sheer volume also presents hotels with the challenge of acquiring business from a changing mix of potential guests,” said Tony Palmer, Country Manager – Greece at SiteMinder.

SiteMinder’s list shows which channels secured the highest total sales for the country’s hotel economy.

“Notably, HRS’s appearance shows the growing value of travelers from Germany, which remains Greece’s top source of inbound tourist arrivals, while Mr & Mrs Smith’s appearance shows the effectiveness of this channel for a market rich with luxury and boutique hotels,” Palmer added.

Speaking on the lists, SiteMinder’s managing director, Mike Ford, said the increased diversity is also indicative of a booking landscape that has exploded in recent years and is showing no signs of slowing.

Euromonitor International data showed that global online hotel sales have surpassed US$264 billion to represent over 170 percent growth in the last decade, including over 13 percent over the past year, alone.

According to Ford, SiteMinder this year found almost 20 instances of booking channels making a first-time appearance on its lists.

“So, while the more popular brands continue to dominate, we are seeing a broader range of players emerging. This trend reflects not only the ever-growing list of options now available to travelers booking their stay, but the subsequent need for hotels to be on more booking channels than ever to keep up with today’s endless paths-to-purchase,” he added.

SiteMinder’s platform processed over 87 million online bookings in 2018 – a rate of 166 per minute. The bookings totalled US$28.7 billion (€25.6 billion) in revenue for its 30,000 hotel customers globally.