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International visitors represent over half of Italian hotel web traffic, with April 2022 topping the list

The good news for Italy is that more visitors are advancing to the Booking Engine now than they had in any month the entire year prior, topping the chart at 43.4%. 

A deep-dive into how hotel data trends have evolved in Italy using insights from The Hotel Network’s benchmarking tool, BenchDirect. Restrictions are relaxing and travelers are ready to get back on the road once again. As we gear up for summer, it’s important to analyze key hotel website metrics to make the most of this busy season by boosting bookings on your direct channel. 

The Hotels Network (THN), a comprehensive direct growth platform for hotels, released its latest BenchDirect Insights Report which provides valuable insight into the current performance of direct hotel channels in Italy. Our specialist team gathers anonymized data from hotels worldwide to produce reports that look into hotel data by region. 

In this article, we analyze metrics that could help you build an effective direct channel strategy, based on Italian hotel website visits from May 2021 until April 2022. 

Opportunity detected at final stage in the booking process
The good news for Italy is that more visitors are advancing to the Booking Engine now than they had in any month the entire year prior, topping the chart at 43.4%. Although this is a promising metric, those Booking Engine visitors haven’t been converted into direct bookers at the same rate, with overall conversion at 5.5%. This scenario presents hoteliers with a major opportunity to boost their overall conversion rate, as they can see exactly where to target potential bookers and advance them through the rest of the booking funnel. 

International visitors are making a comeback in 2022
The moment we’ve all been waiting for, international travel is making a comeback in Italy. April of 2022 recorded a 65% increase in international website traffic compared to the end of 2021. International website visitors have made up half or more of Italian hotels’ website traffic throughout the entirety of this year, with April topping the list at 56.3%. 

Why mobile shouldn’t be overlooked
Hoteliers in Italy shouldn’t miss out on the growing opportunity presented by potential bookers using their mobile devices. Mobile visitors reclaimed the majority of website traffic, reaching 54% in April, while desktop users continue to be the leader in terms of converting traffic to direct bookings. With mobile users trailing in conversions at 1.3%, this data showcases the chance Italian hoteliers have to convert their increased number of mobile website visitors into bookers. 

OTA disparity frequency stabilized
While the frequency of OTA disparities has stabilized so far in 2022, the price difference between hotel rates and OTA rates has also remained relatively unchanged this year, at a high rate most recently of 12.2%. The key for hoteliers in these scenarios is understanding the story that the data is telling, in this case drawing the relation between how high price disparities could potentially be a contributing factor in the low conversion rate, and then creating a plan to solve the issue and win over their website visitors. 

The data presents a favorable scenario in Italy, and presents clear opportunities for hoteliers to capitalize on existing opportunities within the market to boost growth on their direct channel. To learn about Italy, and as well as other key destinations, check out the full BenchDirect Insight Reports. 

Make the Most of Benchmarking for your Hotel Business
This data was extracted from BenchDirect, a free benchmarking platform for hotels. BenchDirect taps into data from thousands of hotels worldwide, showing the evolution of the main metrics related to an effective direct booking strategy, from website traffic acquisition and conversion rates to price disparities and visitor profile. THN's global direct channel performance reports are updated monthly for each market so you can see how your hotel brand or destination compares when it comes to direct channel performance. 

Co-Founder & Chief Editor - TravelDailyNews Media Network | Website | + Posts

Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.

She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.

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