When it comes to booking holidays, the traditional accommodation catalogue has gradually given way to a small number of large, online, global accommodation brokerages. As indirect 'middlemen', these businesses are expert in bringing the customer and the accommodation provider together.
In just a few clicks of the mouse, travellers can now source accommodation anywhere on the planet, check its availability, discover the set price and then book it..........
.....provided you are happy to pay the broker's fee, which could be as much as 21% on top of the cost of the accommodation.
However, for many customers and a growing number of accommodation providers, the fees and restrictions placed upon the market by indirect middlemen have brought about a realisation that the old direct booking method actually had some merit.
The days of the printed accommodation catalogue are well and truly over.
Yet, most owners positively welcome direct contact from holidaymakers, and there are many benefits both for the owners and for their guests.
If you want to know more about the property location and travelling times, learn about local amenities, plan a surprise event or understand more about details such as parking, disability access and security, then ask the owner!
There is also the question of availability. Owners know exactly when guests are leaving and arriving. They can be far more flexible when it comes to check-in times, access arrangements and making the availability calendar work for the guest in ways which most online booking systems were never designed to handle.
And then there is price.........
Austerity measures, the global financial crash, Brexit, etc, etc; Few remain unaffected by this century's global economic turmoil.
We all deserve a holiday, a vacation, some time-out to re-charge the batteries. As middlemen in a relatively simple transaction, the global accommodation brokerages offer us choice and simplicity, but their fees have gone beyond the pocket of many.
The indirect booking model has served the market well, and will continue to do so. However, it is time to offer a credible alternative.
Contact the owner - Direct!
