Top online travel agencies
Based on Cloudbeds’ data gathered from thousands of customer properties between 2021 (the benchmark used in our last report) and 2023, we’ve seen a remarkable pace of recovery for OTAs. While top OTAs like Booking.com, Expedia, and Airbnb have held onto their spots as the highest-revenue generating booking platforms, we saw China’s Trip.com rise two spots, indicating the return of Asian travelers to the market. Here are the highest revenue-generating OTAs of 2023.
Highest revenue-generating OTAs
1. Booking.com
Booking.com is one of the largest and most popular travel websites in the world, with over 1.5 million nights booked every day. Its website and mobile apps are accessible in 43 languages and feature over 50 million verified guest reviews of properties in 200+ countries. Its parent company, Booking Holdings, includes OTA brands and metasearch engines such as Priceline.com, KAYAK, Agoda, Rentalcars.com, OpenTable and more.
2. Expedia
Expedia.com is the flagship brand of Expedia Group, which includes 200 travel booking websites, including Hotwire, Orbitz, Trivago, and Travelocity, serving 75 countries in 35 languages with over 600 million monthly visits. The website includes searches for all types of accommodations, as well as booking flights, car rentals, cruises, and vacation packages. By activating the Expedia connection, properties will broadcast their inventory on Hotels.com, Wotif, and many other channels.
3. Airbnb
Airbnb is known for providing access to unique accommodations around the world, with the vast majority of properties located outside of main hotel districts. While the company continues to expand into hotel room inventory following its acquisition of HotelTonight (known for booking last-minute lodging), its community expects a certain type of experience. Namely, something that is less cookie-cutter and more oriented to the local vibe.
4. Hostelworld
HostelWorld is a leading OTA for hostel-focused accommodations worldwide, with 12+ million guest reviews. Travelers can also book hotels, B&Bs, and other budget accommodation types. Hostelworld aims to be a leader in social travel via its online booking options and mobile app, addressing the needs of guests who want to make connections with others as they experience the world around them. Their app and website operate in 20 different languages.
5. Agoda
Agoda was founded in 1998 and later acquired by the Priceline Group (now called Booking Holdings) in 2007. Agoda’s website is available in 38 languages and focuses on listing all types of properties. It’s currently one of the leading online travel booking sites for the Asian market but is pushing into the US, India, and European markets.
6. Trip.com
Trip.com is China’s leading provider of travel services including reservations for accommodation, transportation, tours, and corporate travel. Founded in 1999, the company owns and operates several other OTAs and aggregators, including Trip.com, Skyscanner, Qunar, and Ctrip.
7. Hotelbeds
By connecting to Hotelbeds, you can gain unrivaled exposure to the travel industry’s largest network of B2B buyers, including more than 71,000 tour operators, travel agents, airlines, and loyalty and point perks, which can be great for business travel.
8. Vrbo
With over 2 million bookable vacation rentals, Vrbo caters to a diverse range of needs and preferences, offering everything from cozy, intimate cabins for romantic getaways to spacious, well-appointed villas suitable for large family reunions or group vacations.
9. Traveloka
Based in Indonesia, Traveloka is one of Asia’s largest online travel agents. Traveloka lists hundreds of thousands of properties across Southeast Asia, Australia, and around the globe. The company also provides lifestyle products and services, such as tickets to attractions, activities, car rentals, and restaurant vouchers.
10. Despegar/Decolar
Despegar/Decolar is a leading online travel company in Latin America, with Despegar functioning as the global brand and Decolar representing the brand in the Brazilian market. Their marketplace operates across 20 markets and offers a broad suite of travel products in the region, including airfare, hotel bookings, travel packages, and other travel products to a large customer base.
Highest revenue-generating OTAs by country
Based on Cloudbeds data, we’ve highlighted the OTAs that are generating the most revenue for our customers in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.
Hostelworld has moved up on the list across multiple countries, demonstrating that demand for hostels (jumping 5 spots in Thailand and the Philippines), shared accommodations, and experiences are back. In addition, we can see the return of Asian travelers as Agoda and Trip.com rise in North America and make their first appearance on Latin American lists.
Top 10 OTAs in the U.S
- Booking.com
- Expedia
- Airbnb
- Hostelworld
- Agoda
- Vrbo
- HotelTonight
- Hotelbeds
- Trip.com
- Hotelnet
Top 10 OTAs in Canada
- Booking.com
- Expedia
- Airbnb
- Hostelworld
- Agoda
- Dorms.com
- Trip.com
- Vrbo
- Mrs & Mrs Smith
- Tripadvisor
Top 10 OTAs in Mexico
- Booking.com
- Expedia
- Airbnb
- Hostelworld
- Hotelbeds
- Despegar/Decolar
- Keytel
- PriceTravel
- Agoda
- Mr & Mrs. Smith
Top 10 OTAs in Spain
- Booking.com
- Hostelworld
- Airbnb
- Expedia
- Agoda
- Hotelbeds
- Keytel
- Mr & Mrs Smith
- Dorms.com
Top 10 OTAs in other countries
Learn more about the top revenue-generating OTAs around the world in our Big Book of OTAs, including:
- Portugal
- UK
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Australia
- Philippines
- Thailand
Highest niche revenue-generating OTAs
What are niche OTAs?
Niche OTAs are online travel agencies catering to specific audiences and travel needs. Many niches exist today, including OTAs for skiers, campers or glampers, adventure travelers, luxury travelers, and more.
Niche platforms can be the best online travel agencies as they are built to target more specific guest segments. Once you identify what guest segments make sense for your property, you can look into local partnerships to expand your offerings to provide a more tailored experience that complements your guests’ travel plans. For example, if you have a property close to the beach, you can find local surf instructors to partner with and offer lessons through your booking engine to attract surfers. When the guests check in, you can show them where the best surf is in town to improve the guest experience.
After a guest’s first trip is booked through a niche OTA, the guest will likely forego OTAs for their next trip in favor of booking directly on the hotel website. Niche OTAs are an essential part of any property’s online distribution strategy as they build loyalty and encourage direct bookings, helping hotels make money.
In the niche OTA market, many new channels have emerged over the past few years, especially surf & sport OTAs and luxury OTAs.
Highlighted niche OTAs surf & sports
The global surfing tourism market is predicted to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6%, from 9.5 billion USD in 2022 to 17.1 billion USD by 2032. Travelers are increasingly looking for unique experiences, many tailored to specific activities like surfing, and seek out properties that cater to their needs. Today, the top revenue-generating Surf & Sport OTAs include:
Thermal offers a handpicked collection of the best surf trips in the world, with a focus on amazing guides who create one-of-a-kind, authentic experiences.
Good Story has an inventory of surf hotels and internationally recognized surf schools and camps for both novice and experienced surfers.
Surf Holidays provides unique places to stay with quality local surf instruction to deliver the surf holiday of a lifetime on some of the best breaks in the world.
Luex Surf & Snow Travel connects travelers with operators/ suppliers of once-in-a-lifetime sports travel experiences and products.
KiteSurfHolidays.com specializes in kitesurfing holidays, including accommodations and kitesurfing schools.
Highlighted niche OTAs luxury
In May 2023, Deloitte reported that the luxury travel industry had rebounded to pre-pandemic levels and is currently thriving, with a global market value of 1.2 trillion USD. Bookings at five-star hotels rose 19% over the first three quarters of 2021, and luxury travelers are more keen than ever to experience “Instagram-worthy” experiences in unique and remote locations.
The following OTAs cater to travelers looking for luxury accommodations:
Mr & Mrs Smith includes a collection of carefully curated hotels that are first anonymously evaluated and visited by staff. This exclusive OTA works on an invitation-only basis.
Prestigia is made up of hand-selected quality and unique hotels from all over the world. This OTA offers the best price guarantees, promotions, and exclusive offers.
icastelli.net luxurious, historical, and unique high-level hotels are the property types found on this OTA. Collections include exclusive boutique hotels, golf hotels, spa hotels, and more.
i-escape provides unforgettable travel experiences, including eco-retreats, safari lodges, and boutique hotels. Also included is an award-winning booking system with a direct dialogue between guests and property and free advice from travel consultants.
Tablet Hotels the official hotel selection of the MICHELIN Guide. This OTA showcases hotels that provide meaningful experiences to guests, regardless of budget.
Spotlight – LGBTQIA+ OTAS
The global LGBTQIA+ travel market is valued at over $568.5 billion USD annually. While many countries have become increasingly welcoming to the queer community, discrimination is still prevalent today. A Booking.com study revealed that 58% of LGBTQ+ travelers face discrimination while traveling, and 41% canceled a trip within the past year after seeing their destination wasn’t LGBTQ+ friendly.
OTAs like ebab have emerged to offer safe and friendly accommodations to the LGBTQIA+ community.
Top OTAs by property type
Our data shows that while the top global OTAs dominate across almost all property types, some OTAs offer more opportunities for specific property types.
Channels such as Hostelworld have traditionally been popular for searching for hostels, while channels such as Vrbo and Airbnb have catered to vacation rentals. However, we’ve seen that our hotel customers are increasingly adopting Airbnb as part of their channel mix. Airbnb welcomes hotels that have a unique, independent environment and style.
Download our Big Book of OTAs to see the list of the five most popular channel connections by property type, including:
- Most popular channel connections for Hotels & Boutiques
- Most popular channel connections for Hostels
- Most popular channel connections for Vacation Rentals
- Most popular channel connections for Bed & Breakfasts
