Marketing Mythbuster #6: OTA's Can Handle the Customer Relationship
By Tomahawk on
Online Travel Agents (OTAs) like Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb, Viator and Get Your Guide have become an important part of the tourism distribution landscape. They provide visibility, reach new audiences, and can help fill beds, tours, and experiences that might otherwise go unsold.
But we often hear from tourism businesses that "the OTA can handle the customer relationship."
While OTAs are great at helping guests find and book your business, relying on them to manage the entire customer relationship means you're giving away one of your most valuable assets: your customer data.
Why Being Dependent on OTAs is Costly
When a guest books through an OTA, the platform manages much of the relationship. They control the booking journey, the communications, and often limit the information shared with operators.
The problem with depending on the OTA means that while may have delivered an incredible experience, when it's time for that guest to plan their next trip, it's the OTA that has their email address, not you.
Without a direct connection to your guests, you're forced to pay commission again and again to reach the same people.
Typical Example
Let's say a family books a stay through an OTA this year. They love their experience, leave a glowing review, and plan to return next summer.
If you haven't captured their contact details or built a direct relationship, chances are they'll return to the OTA to make their next booking. That means another commission payment for a customer you've already won once before.
Over time, this can significantly increase your customer acquisition costs and reduce your profitability.
Take Control of Your Customer Relationship
This is not about abandoning OTAs because for most tourism businesses, OTAs remain a valuable part of the marketing mix as a source of bookings and giving your business global visibility.
Instead, the goal is to use OTAs as a customer acquisition channel while creating opportunities to build a direct relationship with guests once they arrive.
Here are a few simple ways to do that:
1. Collect Customer Information at Check-In
One of the easiest opportunities comes during check-in. Whether you're an accommodation provider, attraction, or activity operator, ensure you're capturing guest email addresses and gaining permission to communicate with them in the future.
Having at least their email gives you the ability to:
Send post-visit emails with review requests
- Share special offers
- Promote future experiences
- Keep in touch with newsletters
- Build your email database
Just make sure you're following privacy regulations and obtaining appropriate consent - make it part of your check-in process.
2. Create a Strong Post-Visit Journey
The guest experience shouldn't end when they check out. A simple email sequence can help keep your business top of mind by planning regular emails campaigns including: thanking guests for their visit, sharing local travel inspiration, highlighting new experiences, and encouraging repeat bookings.
Many tourism businesses spend heavily acquiring customers but invest very little in nurturing the relationships they already have - you can change that easily!
3. Give Guests a Reason to Book Direct Next Time
If you want more direct bookings, you need to offer a compelling reason for guests to bypass the OTA. This doesn't necessarily mean discounting, the goal is to create benefits that are only available when booking direct like:.
Flexible cancellation policies (2 rates options: 1. full price with flexible cancellation, or 2. a lower non-refundable rate)
- Exclusive packages
- Complimentary upgrades
- Added-value inclusions
- Loyalty rewards
- Early access to promotions
4. Make Direct Booking Easy
Many operators focus on driving direct bookings but overlook the booking experience itself. If booking direct feels harder than using an OTA, guests will choose the path of least resistance.
- Is your website mobile-friendly?
- Is the booking process simple?
- Are prices and availability easy to find?
- Can guests complete a booking in just a few clicks?
Insights From Tomahawk
From our experience few tourism businesses actively implement strategies for turning those OTA guests into repeat customers who book directly next time, or capture them before they make the booking with an OTA. This is where we can support you to ensure your website, email marketing and remarketing lures customers back to you directly.
Your Website Should Inspire The Booking & Make it Easy
A well-designed website should give guests a compelling reason and easy path to book direct. If your direct booking experience doesn't offer a clear advantage or ease of use, guests will often default back to the OTA they know.
Nurture Relationships via Email
At the same time, collecting guest email addresses and building a permission-based database allows you to stay connected long after the visit ends. Through targeted email campaigns, you can nurture long-term customer loyalty.
Remarketing Helps To Capture More Potential Bookings
Many travellers discover your business via an OTA, but may also find and visit your website to compare options and find out more. Your website is your opportunity to convince them to book direct, but if they leave without booking, there's a good chance they'll get distracted by competitors or simply forget to come back. Remarketing helps prevent that. With Google and Meta remarketing ads, you can continue reaching previous website visitors after they've left your site, reminding them of your experience and encouraging them to return and complete their booking.
At Tomahawk, we regularly help tourism businesses strengthen all of these areas. By combining direct booking website strategies with effective email marketing, and remarketing campaigns, you can reduce your reliance on OTAs, and build stronger customer relationships.
Not sure where to start? Our team are masters at supporting your business with these strategies, get in touch for a chat!
More in the Marketing Mythbuster Series
Our "Marketing Mythbuster" series will have a new Myth added each month throughout 2026, keep an eye on our LinkedIn newsletters, and this blog to view them all!
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