Why do hotels depend on OTAs and how to reduce this dependence?
Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) such as Booking, Expedia and Despegar have dominated the hotel industry, facilitating bookings but charging commissions of up to 25% for each booking. Although these platforms guarantee visibility, hotels lose control over their profitability and relationship with guests.
Digital advertising for hotels is the key to reduce dependence on OTAs, allowing to attract direct traffic and increase bookings without paying high commissions. This is where Digisap comes in, a digital agency in Bogota specialized in hotels that, through SEO, SEM, Social Ads and Display strategies, helps maximize direct bookings and optimize advertising investment.
Comparison: OTAs vs. Digital Advertising with Digisap
| Appearance | Reservations with OTAs | Digital Advertising Reservations |
| Cost | Commission of 15-25% per reservation | Fixed fee + commission on direct sales |
| Control over the customer relationship | ❌ No | ✅ Yes, the hotel obtains the guest’s data. |
| Does it generate loyalty? | ❌ No | ✅ Yes, remarketing and CRM campaigns |
| Visibility on Google? | ❌ No | ✅ Yes, SEO strategies and Google Ads. |
| Advertising in social networks? | ❌ No | ✅ Yes, Social Ads and Display to attract guests. |
| Scalability? | ❌ No, you depend on OTAs. | ✅ Yes, constant optimization to increase bookings |
While OTAs only generate bookings at high costs, digital advertising allows the hotel to attract customers in a profitable and sustainable way.
Digital Advertising Strategies for Hotels with Digisap
1. SEO and Google Ads: More visibility, More direct bookings
SEO: Optimization of the hotel website to appear at the top of Google.
Google Hotel Ads: Highlight your hotel in search results with competitive rates.
Remarketing: Ads targeted to users who visited the website but did not book.
Result: Increased qualified traffic with high purchase intent.
2. Social Media Advertising and Display Ads
Instagram & Facebook Ads: Promotion of unique hotel experiences.
TikTok Ads: Impact on young travelers with attractive visual content.
Programmatic advertising and banners on travel sites.
✔ Result: Increased brand awareness and customer acquisition at all stages of the sales funnel.
3. Sustainable growth with the Growth Partner Model
Unlike OTAs, Digisap offers a Growth Partner model, an innovative results-based payment approach:
✔ Fixed fee + commission for direct bookings.
✔ Personalized digital marketing strategies.
✔ Real-time optimization to improve conversions.
How to optimize your hotel’s booking strategy?
If your hotel wants to reduce its dependence on OTAs and increase its profitability, Digisap’s Growth Partner model is the best option. Request a Free Diagnosis with Digisap and optimize your direct booking strategy.
