Problem
How to reduce OTA dependence
OTAs are useful. Paying 18% on guests who already knew your name is not. The aim is not to leave the platforms; it is to stop paying commission on demand you generated yourself.
Signs this is your problem
- More than 70% of room nights arrive through OTAs
- Your own name is an OTA advertisement on Google
- Repeat guests still book through the same platform they first found you on
- Your direct rate is identical to the OTA rate, with nothing added
How we fix it
- Brand defence campaign so your own name leads to your own site
- A direct-only benefit that costs you less than commission
- Booking engine flow shortened and tested on mobile
- Post-stay email that makes the second booking direct
- Quarterly channel review to keep the shift moving
Realistic outcome
A 15–20 point shift in direct share over twelve months, with total occupancy held flat or better. Anyone promising to end OTA reliance in a quarter is selling you something.
Related
Revenue
Direct booking marketing
Shift bookings from OTA to direct: rate strategy, brand defence, booking path fixes and guest email for Sri Lankan hotels.
Paid search
Google Ads for Sri Lankan hotels
Google Ads managed for hotels and resorts in Sri Lanka — brand defence, high-intent search and hotel ads that pay back.
Retention
Email marketing for hotels
Guest email that fills low season: past-guest offers, pre-arrival upsells and automated post-stay sequences.
Back to hotel marketing in Sri Lanka.
Find out what your property is leaving on the table
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