124: The Future of Tourism, Part 4

What this episode covers

My next and final prediction will be the death of the OTA. OTA’s have not taken the market share they would like and are launching ways to take over this space to the detriment of most small tourism businesses. I am seeing a big backlash in businesses using OTA’s especially with the amount of commission you the business owner must pay. Just recently, GetYourGuide told its customers they will now be charged a commission on cancelled bookings. So, they take a commission from the booking and another when there is a cancellation? I understand GetYourGuide need to cover admin costs but with a lot of businesses relying on weather conditions, this does not make sense. Others will follow suit so how much commission are you prepared to lose? Focus that money in your own site and marketing and you will make much more revenue if done right.