Trip Advisor No interest or Bookings

OTA = Online Travel Agency, which means those sites that sell the booking and take the payment for you.
cambills
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2016 6:56 am
Location: New Mills High Peak
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Trip Advisor No interest or Bookings

Post by cambills »

Hi does anyone know why my bookings via Trip Advisor might have stopped? I am listed on their site and with OD and Airb&b and with the latter 2 agencies my bookings have stayed pretty constant but on TA, despite having 28 or so 5 star reviews I have had no enquiry now for around 10 months. A number of the reviews have come from guests who booked via other sites as you can request reviews via TA even if the guest booked elsewhere. Would they be penalising me for obviously using other agencies? It is annoying as all my first few months bookings came from TA (I have only been up and running since October 2016). My response and acceptance rates are good so I cannot understand why their bookings have completely dried up. Any thoughts? Thanks
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Cymraes
Posts: 519
Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2015 3:31 pm
Location: North Wales

Re: Trip Advisor No interest or Bookings

Post by Cymraes »

cambills wrote:Hi does anyone know why my bookings via Trip Advisor might have stopped? I am listed on their site and with OD and Airb&b and with the latter 2 agencies my bookings have stayed pretty constant but on TA, despite having 28 or so 5 star reviews I have had no enquiry now for around 10 months. A number of the reviews have come from guests who booked via other sites as you can request reviews via TA even if the guest booked elsewhere. Would they be penalising me for obviously using other agencies? It is annoying as all my first few months bookings came from TA (I have only been up and running since October 2016). My response and acceptance rates are good so I cannot understand why their bookings have completely dried up. Any thoughts? Thanks
Mine have too. I'm on the commission model so I guess they are baulking at the additional £200 fees TA add to my quote. Who can blame them. I would never book via TA.

Luckily most seem to have no problem finding me direct
kg1
Posts: 2347
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 4:23 pm

Post by kg1 »

Mine have dried up too - we experimented & went on subscription but they want £600.00 to renew so we are going back on commission. I only stay on there to keep my reviews.
e-richard
Posts: 5008
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 11:33 am
Location: Algarve, Portugal
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Post by e-richard »

Nothing for 6 months, then TWO 2 week peak enquiries today, replied, deposits paid and booked.

There's nothing so weird as OTAs :shock:
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
declanja
Posts: 513
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:59 pm
Location: Nice France
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Post by declanja »

I always had enquires and some bookings from TA. But 2017 was very poor with no bookings and very few inquires.
Giraffe
Posts: 410
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2016 10:10 am
Location: Cornwall, England

Post by Giraffe »

Started off well with TA 3 years ago. Downhill now though. Only 1 booking last year, ditto this year. I'm on commission with TA.
The best things in life are free
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Blanche
Posts: 273
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2009 4:33 pm
Location: Cormatin, Sâone-et-Loire, Burgundy
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Post by Blanche »

If I ever get an enquiry through TA, which is very rarely, I always find some crytic way for the prospective giters to find me through our own website. Anyway I think people are getting more savvy about TA, realising how much extra they have to pay to book through them, and just look at the reviews.
La Maison du Curé
www.cormatin.eu
russellt
Posts: 353
Joined: Tue Dec 09, 2014 8:03 am
Location: Ivybridge, Devon, UK
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Post by russellt »

Occasional enquiries from TA. Beware: The occupancy info is ALWAYS wrong. This weekend's enquiry was for 5 adults. It turned out to be be 2 adults and 4 children(over-occupancy).

I can't imagine how their Instant Book service can work well, but have no intention of clicking the button to find out.
Web: https://yofftoo.com/property/esmes-cottage
Twitter/Facebook/Instagram: @esmescottage
Stewart
Posts: 131
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2011 1:32 pm
Location: Fife, Scotland

TA RIP

Post by Stewart »

HL accounted for 25% of bookings five or so years ago. The absorption into TA marked a rapid decline. Stayed with them for the precious five star rating (commission by this time). Only one booking through them last year which has happened to be our best yet (only 220 days in sunny Scotland but higher revenue)

Decided that the value of their stars is negligible and switched off the listing in December.

Looks like the combination of our own site and AirBnB (10 to 15% of revenue looks likely) will make this year better than last.

Does this market really need an out of touch and expensive TA anymore?
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beamish
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed May 04, 2016 6:33 pm
Location: Los Cristianos, Tenerife
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Post by beamish »

Been with them for 2 years - only one booking
Eventually I de-listed from them and they associated websites.
A complete waste of time for me

Web: https://canaryholidays.co.uk
Beamish
FelicityA
Posts: 2816
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:54 pm
Location: Cotswolds
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Post by FelicityA »

I still get the odd enquiry but mostly I get people to my own website who have seen my cottage on TripAdvisor and remark on the reviews (which is how I know, as mostly people forget where they found you).

Today, though, I get an enquiry for 13 nights and therefore with an incorrect quote. Laughably, TA tell me what I will 'earn' (of course considerably less), but I don't use their payment system so that figure is incorrect. The figure to the guest is also incorrect, as I charge for a full week Saturday to Saturday. Previously, I am pretty sure the guest would have been warned if they inputted dates which did not tie in with my changeover day. They would be told it was not possible?


Perhaps that might have then sent them away, not investigating further.....so maybe this is a GOOD thing? But I hate having to tell someone that their quote is incorrect, in the wrong direction. I have replied on TA and also to the guest's own email address, explaining, and await a reply, hoping they will be happy with a quote for the full period.
Mmmbobby
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu Dec 07, 2017 10:35 am

Post by Mmmbobby »

Lots looking, no one booking!
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