Learn how Affilired has helped wordwide hotel chains to increase direct bookings

Cyberweek 2024 has established itself as one of the best booking weeks for the hotel industry. This event, which combines promotions from Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the days following, enabled hotel chains worldwide to achieve extraordinary results thanks to Affilired’s commission-based digital solutions.

In this Cyberweek 2024 edition, Affilired’s performance-based campaigns achieved:

A 23,38% increase in the number of bookings.
A 16.86 % growth in average booking value.
A 40.5% increase in total revenue generated.

If you want to learn how these strategies can help transform your business, download our full report featuring exclusive data from hotel chains.

Black Friday has become one of the most important dates of the year for many sectors, and the travel industry is no exception. In an increasingly competitive environment, travel companies have the opportunity to take advantage of this global event to attract new customers, increase sales and strengthen their brand. Here are the main benefits of Black Friday for companies in the travel industry and why they should not miss out on this date.

1. Increased bookings in low season

Black Friday falls just before the winter holidays, a time that traditionally sees a drop in tourism bookings. However, with irresistible deals, companies can attract travellers looking to plan their holidays at reduced prices. In addition, many customers take advantage of promotions to book trips not only for the short term, but also for future dates, helping to fill rooms and services in the quieter months of the year.

2. Improved brand visibility

The high demand and anticipation around Black Friday generates high web traffic and increased exposure on social media and advertising platforms. By launching attractive promotions, tourism companies can position themselves on the radar of new customers and compete effectively in the global marketplace. This is key to increasing brand visibility and attracting new audiences.

3. Customer loyalty

Black Friday is not only about attracting new customers, but also about rewarding existing ones. Offering exclusive discounts or personalised packages to loyal customers strengthens the relationship with them and increases the likelihood of future rebooking. This is an excellent loyalty strategy that can lead to longer lasting business relationships.

4. Optimising affiliate marketing

Travel companies that work with affiliate marketing can benefit enormously during Black Friday. By offering attractive commissions and irresistible promotions, affiliates have an additional incentive to promote the offers, generating a higher volume of sales. This, combined with strategic advertising investment, guarantees massive exposure with an assured return on investment.

5. Increased online conversion

Today’s consumer is always on the lookout for deals and discounts, and Black Friday is the perfect time to capitalise on this trend. With the right SEO strategies and well-targeted advertising campaigns, tourism businesses can significantly increase their online conversion rates. Well-optimised websites, with visible offers and simplified booking processes, are key to maximising sales in this period of high demand.

Conclusion

Black Friday is much more than a discount event; it is a strategic opportunity for tourism businesses to strengthen their market presence, generate new sales and build customer loyalty.

Planning ahead, optimising marketing campaigns and taking advantage of affiliate marketing are the keys to maximising profits on this date.

At Affilired we are already working to secure the best opportunities from top international affiliates. If you are interested in giving visibility to your Black Friday promotions among your affiliate community, you can contact your Account Manager who will advise you. Don’t get left behind and make Black Friday a key moment for the growth of your online bookings.

In the dynamic world of digital marketing, the battle between third party cookies and first party cookies is taking centre stage. Although Google has decided to maintain support for third party cookies in its Chrome browser, the future remains uncertain, and businesses should prepare for a potentially significant change. In this scenario, Affilired recommends that companies in the travel and tourism sector implement tracking systems based on 1st party cookies to ensure the continued success of their campaigns.

The Uncertainty of Third Party Cookies

Third-party cookies have been a cornerstone of audience tracking and segmentation in digital marketing. However, growing concerns about user privacy and data control have led many browsers and regulators to limit their use. Despite years of announcing the removal of third-party cookies, Google has postponed this decision, but has not released details of its future plans, creating uncertainty for marketers.

The 1st Party Cookie Advantage

1st Party Cookies offer a robust and sustainable alternative. Unlike third-party cookies, they are collected directly from the website owner’s domain, which provides several key advantages:

Greater control and ownership of data: Businesses have full control over the data collected, allowing for more effective personalisation of marketing strategies.
Regulatory compliance: First-party cookies help businesses comply with privacy regulations such as GDPR, ensuring the protection of user data.
Consistency and reliability: These cookies are unaffected by changes in browser policies, providing a consistent and reliable source of data.

The Affilired Solution: Empowering Tourism Marketing with First Party Cookies

At Affilired, we understand that adapting to an ever-evolving digital environment is crucial. With third-party cookies still in play, Affilired can continue to empower the commissioned campaigns we manage for our clients, albeit since 2018 we have developed and implemented advanced tracking solutions based on first-party cookies, designed to optimise the performance of marketing campaigns in the tourism sector.

Benefits of Affilired tracking solutions

Simple and Efficient Integration: Our solutions integrate easily with existing systems, enabling fast and seamless implementation.
Advanced Data Analytics: We provide access to Mojo, our customised dashboard, which allows our clients to better analyse and understand the behaviour of users who book through our campaigns and adjust their strategy accordingly.
Accurate Targeting and Personalisation: With accurate and reliable data, we can personalise campaigns to reach our clients’ target audiences more effectively.
Performance-based campaigns: Our clients continue to enjoy a unique performance-based solution. Only sales validated at check-out or enjoyment are commissioned by Affilired.

Contact Affilired to find out more

Despite the continuity of third-party cookies, it has become clear that digital businesses must continue to move forward in the face of possible changes from the American giant. At a time when data privacy and control are more important than ever, the key is to adapt to this ever-changing environment and make the most of the possibilities offered by the ever-changing digital environment.

Affilired is ready to help companies navigate this change, recommending its clients to use a combination of 1st party cookies and 3rd party cookies to gain a better view of the user, creating more accurate audiences that convert better.

Our expertise and first party cookie-based tracking solutions can provide the competitive advantage you need to stay ahead in the travel industry.

Contact us today to find out how our customised solutions can boost your business and keep you at the forefront of the industry!

Booking.com removes price parity clauses as of 1 July 2024

From 1 July 2024 Booking.com has removed price parity clauses from its contracts. These price parity clauses obliged hotels to offer the same prices and conditions on Booking.com as on any other distribution channel, including their own websites. This limited the ability of hotels to compete with exclusive prices and offers in their direct channels.

Booking.com’s recent removal of this clause is in response to the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which seeks to ensure fairer and more competitive practices by large digital platforms. For hoteliers, this is an exceptional opportunity to optimise their pricing strategies and increase their profitability.

What does the elimination of price parity clauses imply?

With the elimination of these clauses, hoteliers are now free to:

Set more competitive prices: Offer lower rates or special promotions on their own websites without worrying about restrictions imposed by Booking.com.
Incentivise direct bookings: Attract customers directly to their website with exclusive offers and promotional codes, improving profitability and loyalty.
Personalise the customer experience: Use customer data collected through direct bookings to deliver a more personalised and satisfying experience.

How can Affilired help you take advantage of this opportunity?

At Affilired, we are ready to help you maximise the benefits of this regulatory change. With our performance based marketing solutions, you can:

Optimise Your Direct Channels with Affiliate Marketing: Attract potential clients by leveraging a network of affiliates who will promote your best offers and brand. Provide exclusive offers, attractive promotional codes, or engaging content, and our affiliates will work to amplify your reach and drive traffic to your website.
Improve Profitability: With Affilired, you only pay a competitive commission on confirmed bookings at customer check-out. This ensures your investment is both efficient and productive, allowing you to maximise your return on investment.
Boost Your Visibility: By partnering with Affilired, you gain access to thousands of active affiliates that will apply top digital marketing techniques to increase your online presence and ensure that your brand stands out in a crowded market.