Hotel meta-search is the future for bookings

Tourists are becoming more and more demanding regarding their travel bookings. Indeed, they need to easily have access to a sufficient database and they need to compare prices. However, the only way for internet users to do it was to find themselves their own resources through the search engine they used.

Recently a “new” tool has been used to make easier the booking process for tourists. This tool is known as meta-search engine.

What is a meta-search engine?

A meta-search engine is a tool that enables the Internet users to ask for one criteria and access several search engines’ databases simultaneously.   

Is it a new tool?

Absolutely not. Mamma.com was the first meta-search engine created by Herman Tumurcuoglu in Quebec and was commercialized in 1996.

But as many tools for tourism it took time for marketers and companies to understand the potential benefits. As a result, it is only since a few years that meta-search engines are used for tourism destinations.

What are the benefits?

This engine enables consumers to access a more accurate database for their research. They do not have to look for different websites in order to find the best price. The meta-search engine will have already gather the prices for different booking websites.

For hotel companies the meta-search engines can be considered as a new distribution partner. Indeed, once the customer is given the best possible information, the decision making process is fasten. The next step for the customer is the payment, which means the monetization of the booking process.

What are the trends and well-known actors?

Google launched in the end 2013 a new meta-search capability within Google Maps that enables consumers to get flight prices while looking for different routes. This is only the first step of a broader meta-search process. They will try to gather hotel information for the next step.

TripAdvisor gave its business an edge in hotel meta-search. While looking for a hotel on TripAdvisor, the customer is now given a price comparison sometimes between more than 10 booking websites! What does it mean? As we have said previously, it means that the customer does not have to lose time looking through 10 different websites – 5 of which he or she has never heard about – and feels like he or she has the most accurate information. Thus all the distribution channel is simplified and the monetization is accelerated. 

Sources: 

http://skift.com/2013/02/13/tripadvisor-shakes-up-business-with-aggressive-hotel-metasearch-integration/

http://www.tourism-review.com/hotel-marketers-top-three-metasearch-trends--news3758

http://www.eyefortravel.com/distribution-strategies/new-frontiers-how-meta-search-upping-its-game

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?rep=rep1&type=pdf&doi=10.1.1.205.17