SiteMinder, the global hotel industry’s leading guest acquisition platform, has unveiled the lists of distribution channels that brought the greatest booking revenue to hotels in 2020 and since the global hotel booking reset began in April. The lists, which vary across more than 20 of the world’s most established travel destinations, reveal a broader range

SiteMinder, the global hotel industry’s leading guest acquisition platform, has unveiled the lists of distribution channels that brought the greatest booking revenue to hotels in 2020 and since the global hotel booking reset began in April. The lists, which vary across more than 20 of the world’s most established travel destinations, reveal a broader range of consumer choices and a shift away from the consolidation seen in previous years, with 32 instances of distribution channels making their first appearances and 20 instances of distribution channels climbing at least two positions from the prior year.

The annual lists also highlight the strengthening of regional distribution channels, as a result of restricted international travel. Over the full 2020 year, they comprised around a third of the top 12 in Thailand and many gained in strength from the start of the global hotel booking reset.

In Thailand, the top 12 hotel booking channels in 2020, based on total gross revenue made for all users of SiteMinder’s platform, were:

“This past year in Thailand, as a result of the hotel booking reset, we naturally saw a decline in international guests and, subsequently, a greater relevance of regional players such as Traveloka. Additionally, we saw the debut of Mr & Mrs Smith in our top 12 list, which is a channel used by travellers seeking boutique and luxury hotels. What this reflects is Thailand’s deep attempts to attract travellers with a higher net worth and the ability to take extended stays, beyond one month,” says SiteMinder’s regional vice president of Asia Pacific, Bradley Haines. “Consumers have changed. It is therefore critical that hoteliers assess how and where they sell their rooms, and ensure they embrace the distribution channels—global and local, direct and indirect—with proven effectiveness in securing reservations and revenue.”

The annual lists highlight the sustained growth of direct bookings for hotels, with hotel websites maintaining their top five position in all destinations over the full 2020 year, including in Thailand where they ranked as the third-top producer of booking revenue for local hotels. The ranking of hotel websites rose further in more than a third of destinations since April, when hotel bookings dropped to below 10 percent of 2019 levels as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

One other key finding is the continued relevance of wholesalers, with leading bedbank Hotelbeds among the top 12 in each destination, including Thailand, both over the full 2020 year and during the pandemic period. WebBeds was also among the top 12 in Thailand and seven other destinations since April.

“The travel disruptions of 2020 levelled the playing field for many distribution channel providers to demonstrate the unique value they provided to consumers and therefore to hotels,” says SiteMinder’s senior director of global demand partnerships, James Bishop. “With international travel restrictions in place and rising cases of coronavirus around the world, many consumers were drawn to local hotel accommodations where the direct hotel website has always performed well, or through local booking channels, which, after an initial slump, saw an uptick from pent-up travel demand. Many other consumers were drawn to the staycation appeal and perceived security of Airbnb-listed properties. SiteMinder’s lists of the top 12 hotel booking revenue makers are testament to real changes in people’s travel behaviour and preferences during this time.”

To view the top 12 lists of all travel destinations worldwide, and the 2021 predictions of more than 25 of the world’s top distribution channel providers, visit the SiteMinder website here.