First US OTA launched on Book on Google.
DUSSELDORF – Metasearch and OTA bookings have risen significantly in the Peakwork Leisure Travel Network and are now one of the key growth drivers. After constantly doubling the number of bookings over recent years, the first quarter of 2018 closed once again with three-digit growth. This is due to Peakwork’s expansion into further sales markets and new distribution partners and channels, including the USA, Scandinavia and the Asia-Pacific region.
Facilitated / Express Booking increases
In addition to the classic click-out model, especially rising are bookings via metasearchers with facilitated or express booking model, which offers an efficient and user-optimized booking process on the metasearch website. In this variant, the travel provider – unlike the OTA model – remains the "Merchant of Record" (MoR), which means they remain the contracted partner and contact person for the customer.
Peakwork fully supports this entire solution end-to-end, including the payment process, which is backed by the PCI DSS standard and Google Vendor Security Audit Certifications. Corresponding booking paths currently exist for Google, Kayak, and Trivago for the distribution of hotels, flights, and package travel offers, which are also being implemented at Peakwork's other metasearch and global sales partner platforms.
Supporting international partners reach new markets
Metasearchers and OTAs, such as Google, Kayak, Momondo, Swoodoo, Tripadvisor, Trivago, Holidaycheck, CheckFelix, Check24, Kiwi, Expedia, and others, are all accessing offers from the Peakwork Player network across more than 30 countries. These include major European markets such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, UK, BENELUX, Spain, and Portugal, as well as other growing Peakwork markets such as the US, Canada and Brazil, as well as APAC.
In 2017, travel package connectivity was launched on Google Packages and on metasearcher Momondo. In 2018, new metasearch partners have already appeared online with package holidays. Even on Facebook, connectivity for packages and flight only offers is planned – hotel offers are already sold via the Facebook format DAT, “Dynamic Ads for Travel”. OTAs can also sell third-party vacation packages and hotels through metasearchers, such as Expedia in package sales.
Classic tour operators use Peakwork technology to launch global platforms that rely on the fast-growing metasearchers as a distribution channel to gain a fast and efficient international footing. This growth strategy replaces the usual Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Adwords advertising formats. European tour operators such as TUI, Thomas Cook, DER Touristik Group, Hotelplan, and bedfinder are already using this channel to rapidly expand into new markets.
Airlines such as Lufthansa, Condor, and Canadian Air Transat, as well as hotel providers such as Hotelopia (part of the Hotelbeds Group), Mirai (a Spanish hotel service provider) and US OTA, Travelpass Group with its brand ReservationDesk, are also increasingly selling on metasearch via Peakwork technology to directly scale international bookings and enter new markets.
Further metasearch connections
Peakwork has already connected numerous active partners globally for distribution via metasearch. For 2018, Peakwork is focusing on developing relationships with metasearchers in the package travel sector, expanding and deploying the facilitated booking functionality for other providers, as well as creating new partnerships with other locally leading distribution platforms.
Annika Kessel, Chief Digital Officer of Peakwork, adds: "The trend among our partners is towards Facilitated Booking. In addition, in 2018, the distribution of hotels and flights as travel packages is another trend in metasearch and offers great internationalization opportunities. A booking process with a mobile first, user-optimized experience and fast response times brings higher conversions and the facilitated booking model will attract new customer groups."
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.
