TripAdvisor enhances new 'sponsored placement' offering

Travel platform TripAdvisor has launched a feature within its "Sponsored Placements" product to allow booking-ready travellers to book with hotels directly. According to TripAdvisor, this will supposedly help hotel owners to increase direct bookings instead of relying on online travel agencies (OTAs).

The enhancement provides travellers a prominent link to book directly with the property, the platform said. This comes after a survey of TripAdvisor users in September revealed that nearly half of travellers (41%) prefer to book directly with the hotel if given the opportunity. According to a press release, the competition with OTAs for exposure has been one of hoteliers' biggest booking challenges.

Martin Verdon-Roe, vice president, B2B hotels at TripAdvisor said: "We have launched this new direct booking tool based on feedback from owners, and it’s one of a number of things over the next several months we plan to offer hoteliers to better meet their needs.”

Sponsored Placements, which first launched in 2017, appear on high-profile pages across TripAdvisor, including above search results and on nearby properties’ listings. These ads put a property in front of potential guests looking for places to stay when the property matches the guest’s search and has available rooms to book.

The direct booking feature joins TripAdvisor's other tools that help accommodations grow their business, including the "Management Center" tools to manage their online reputation and "Business Advantage" to optimise their TripAdvisor listings.

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