The Path to Success in Tourism: Digital Marketing on OTA Channels

31 Temmuz 2025

In today’s increasingly competitive tourism industry, using Online Travel Agency (OTA) channels effectively is a critical step for brands aiming to achieve sustainable growth in both domestic and international markets. At Dablyu Digital Marketing Agency, we’ve proven how performance marketing strategies can help hotels and accommodation businesses stand out on OTA platforms.

But how can you generate more bookings through OTAs? And how does digital marketing play into this equation? Let’s explore.

Why OTA Channels and Digital Marketing Must Work Hand-in-Hand

OTA platforms (Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb, Agoda, etc.) are among the primary channels that shape users’ initial booking decisions. However, the intense competition and high commission rates on these platforms can limit a hotel's potential if not paired with a strong digital strategy.

With every booking comes a commission cost, and rising ad expenses can negatively impact hotel profitability over time. That’s why cost-effective and targeted digital marketing strategies are essential—not only to boost visibility but also to drive sustainable profitability.

How to Drive Results Beyond Visibility on OTA Platforms

It is possible to enhance your OTA performance with well-structured digital campaigns:

Redirect OTA visitors back to direct bookings using Google Ads and Meta (maximize profitability by avoiding commission fees)
Retarget users based on their OTA behavior through remarketing lists
Ensure high occupancy through regional targeting and seasonal campaigns

Stand Out on Metasearch Channels: Boost Bookings with Google Hotel Ads

Google Hotel Ads (GHA) gathers room availability and prices from multiple sources and displays your hotel across Google Search Results, Maps, and Google Travel. Hotels can showcase services, room prices, availability, property photos, and guest reviews directly to potential travelers.

When users click on a listing, they’re redirected to either the hotel’s website or a third-party OTA page. Integrating Google Business Profile with Hotel Ads helps strengthen your hotel’s digital presence.

5 Powerful Ways to Strengthen Your Metasearch Profile

1. Complete Your Profile:
After registering for Google Hotel Ads, ensure your profile includes your hotel name, address, high-quality images, room types, and offered amenities.

2. Optimize Your Pricing Strategy:
Conduct competitor price analysis to offer attractive, competitive rates. This is a major factor in campaign performance.

3. Choose the Right Bidding Strategy:
Google Hotel Ads offers options like CPC (cost-per-click) and commission-based bidding. Choose the model that aligns with your business goals and budget.

4. Focus on Mobile Optimization:
Over 63% of searches happen on mobile, and 70% of these lead to an action within an hour. A mobile-friendly website significantly improves conversion rates.

5. Manage Guest Reviews Effectively:
Ratings and reviews directly impact your metasearch visibility. Encourage positive reviews and respond to negative ones quickly and professionally.

5 Strategic Steps for Effective Digital Marketing on OTA Channels

1. Retarget OTA Visitors via Meta and Google Ads:
Create campaign flows based on user behavior from your website.

2. Implement Accurate Pixel & UTM Structures:
Use UTM parameters and tracking pixels to monitor the performance of ads driving traffic to your OTA pages.

3. Apply Regional & Seasonal Segmentation:
Use localized targeting such as beach destinations in summer and thermal resorts in winter.

4. Communicate Experience, Not Just Price:
Go beyond price-focused messaging—highlight unique experiences and added value through creative visuals and copy.

5. Support OTA Content with SEO:
Enhance your Booking.com or Agoda descriptions with SEO-optimized content to improve visibility.

Building an Effective Digital Marketing Strategy for Your Hotel

To attract your target audience and foster strong engagement, your hotel’s digital marketing must be built on a strategic foundation. Digital visibility should be supported not only through OTA and metasearch platforms but also with direct marketing strategies.

1. Define Your Goals and Audience

Start with clear objectives and define your target segments. Create buyer personas based on travel motivations, demographics, and behavioral patterns to build effective communication.

2. Identify Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

What sets your hotel apart—its location, architecture, personalized services? Define this clearly to position your brand in the minds of potential guests.

3. Build Trust Through Social Media

Platforms like Instagram and Facebook allow you to emotionally connect with future guests by showcasing:

Room visuals
Scenic videos
Guest reviews

Responding to comments and reviews also boosts your online reputation and encourages interaction.

5 Tips to Improve Online Visibility

1. Avoid Extreme Price Drops:
While low prices may temporarily fill rooms, they can damage long-term brand perception. Maintain a balanced price-to-value ratio.

2. Offer Unique Experiences:
Stand out with local tours, themed rooms, or personalized greetings.

3. Stay Consistent and Active on Social Media:
Create loyalty through regular posts, campaigns, and live sessions.

4. Create Blog Content:
Blogs on your website improve SEO and build trust. Suggested topics:

“Best Time to Visit for a Vacation”
“Top 5 Restaurants in the Area”
“What to Look for When Choosing a Hotel”

5. Strengthen Guest Relations Digitally:
Use newsletters, thank-you messages, and exclusive discounts to turn past guests into loyal customers.

Be More Than Visible: Be the Preferred Choice with Digital Marketing

In the tourism industry, digital visibility is not just an option—it’s a necessity. At Dablyu, we combine advertising technologies with data-driven marketing intelligence to ensure your brand reaches the right audience at the right time with maximum impact.

Success Stories

MP Hotels | A Worthwhile Transformation with 22 ROAS

Problem:
MP Hotels Group was struggling with low ROAS and occupancy rates, particularly in campaigns targeting international markets.

Solution:

Dynamic remarketing via Google Ads + Meta Ads
Custom audience segments created using OTA-derived user data
Campaign-specific targeting by room type and property

Results:

22x Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
64% increase in direct bookings
Market growth with unique performance metrics in 3 countries

Lago Hotel | Right Time, Right Location, Right Audience

Problem:
During off-season periods, the hotel’s visibility dropped, and occupancy rates declined to 35%.

Solution:

Off-season campaigns highlighting price advantages
Regional search campaigns via Yandex and Google
Automated price matching through OTA price analysis integrations

Results:

600% increase in impressions in just 3 months
87% occupancy rate
5x increase in bookings during low season

Kirman Belazur | A Global Digital Transformation Success Story

Located in Belek with over 700 rooms and a distinct architectural identity, Kirman Belazur aimed to break away from OTA dependency and establish a sustainable reservation ecosystem through its own website and digital infrastructure.

Implementation Highlights:

Custom website development with fully measurable performance integrations (Google, Meta, Yandex)
In just 26 days:
- Reached 7-figure total traffic volume
- Transformed 6-figure traffic into localized clusters in 4 languages, producing over 100 display sets
- Achieved a 16.99% conversion rate using segmented data lists
- Delivered 31.44% ROAS and 3.14% cost-per-sale through call center and web widget-supported sales funnels
- Organic traffic increased by 56.62x YoY
- Ranked on Google in 4 languages with 1,000+ keywords
- Achieved first-page visibility in 198 countries

By generating bookings through its own platform, Kirman Belazur not only reduced commission costs but also established long-term digital autonomy. This case proves that digital independence is both achievable and measurable in the hotel industry.

New Park Ankara Hotel | Redefining Urban Hospitality with Digital Power

Urban hospitality differs from vacation destinations—it thrives on business traffic, public events, and diplomatic visits. In capitals like Ankara, demand patterns follow calendars rather than seasons. Even in slow public periods like summer, it’s possible to increase guest traffic through the right digital strategies.

New Park Ankara Hotel exemplified this through its collaboration with Dablyu.

Strategic Execution:

Google Ads campaigns built around both branded and generic search terms
Boosted not just online bookings but also foot traffic through targeted ads
Strengthened the hotel’s brand position in Ankara’s urban hospitality market

Tangible & Measurable Results (Over the Last 3 Months):

33% increase in clicks (with a fixed ad budget)
90.75% increase in impressions
~30% revenue growth

This success redefined the hotel’s digital strategy and set an example of how urban hotels can thrive in metropolitan markets through digital channels.

Mercure Ankara Kızılay & Koddi | Programmatic OTA Marketing at Its Finest

Formerly known as Kahya Hotel, Mercure Ankara Kızılay is a 4-star hotel centrally located in Ankara. During its transition to the Mercure brand under Accor, Concept Interactive managed social media while Dablyu handled performance marketing.

Beyond conventional Google and Meta ads, we introduced a programmatic OTA marketing strategy—powered by Koddi.

Phase 1: Performance Campaign Setup

Due to Accor’s strict regulations, GA4 or GTM integrations on the main booking system were not possible.
Solution: A dedicated landing page was developed to redirect users to Accor while enabling pixel and analytics tracking. This facilitated remarketing and CRM integration, and also improved direct guest communication.

Phase 2: Koddi – Expanding OTA Programmatic Reach

Koddi is a demand-side platform (DSP) that enables programmatic ad placements across OTAs like Booking and Expedia, operating similarly to Meta or Google. It dynamically places bids, compares them in real-time, and secures visibility on the most profitable listings.

Key Considerations in Our Strategy:

Accor’s loyalty ecosystem
Prioritizing 3+ night stays for revenue planning
Targeting the German market in particular

Smart Bidding & Segmentation

We initially left all bid criteria open to analyze which segments delivered the best returns.
Then, we focused on high-ROAS audiences, including:

International travelers (especially from Germany)
Users interested in loyalty programs
Guests staying 3+ nights
Visitors within a 100-mile radius

Results with Koddi

200% increase in average nights booked
900% ROAS increase

In numbers:

For every 1,000 units spent, 9,000 units were earned
After deducting OTA commissions (20%), net revenue = 7,200 units
Net profit after ad spend = 6,200 units
ROI: 620%

Koddi enabled access to a niche audience loyal to Booking and Expedia due to their ease of payment and trust. This allowed the hotel to generate revenue independently of seasonality and traditional OTA visibility, redefining the digital revenue model.