Research conducted by Travelclick has found that a record number of travel agents around the world are making use of Global Distribution Systems (GDS) to make hotel reservations.
The report coincides with Travelclick’s prediction that 2017 will be a big year for GDS bookings, with data forecasting growth to surpass 68 million reservations – an increase of two million on 2016’s numbers.
Surveying 900 travel agents around the world who use Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport, the research revealed that half of those asked are using the GDS more often than they did two years ago. Furthermore, 29% said they are using GDS shopping displays more frequently, 69 per cent were aware of promotional text messages and 70 per cent reported they would book good hotel offers regardless of the advertising screen type.
Uniformity remains a top priority for agents, with 89 per cent saying that GDS should maintain consistent rates on the same product across all online distribution channels. Nearly two-thirds said they actively avoid hotels that do not offer their best rates within GDS.
John Hach, senior industry analyst at Travelclick, said: “It’s clear that travel agents rely on the GDS as an essential operating system for conducting hotel research and booking reservations.”
travelclick.com