Some interesting stats from eTourism Monitor here on who is dominating the online hotel world in Switzerland.
Just under a third (30%) of all hotel bookings are generated electronically through channels including online travel agencies, hotel websites, global distribution systems, hotel chains' own central reservation systems and social media platforms.
The research, which gathers intelligence for more than 200 hotels, shows online agencies have now reached a 20.9% share of the hotel distribution market, an increase of 5% on 2011 while direct sales and sales from tourism partners have declined.
In 2012 62% of hotel bookings came from direct channels versus 75% in previous years.
Booking.com is the most frequently used online agency with market share increasing from 53% to 67% compared with other online travel agents while its share of the total Swiss hotel reservations market is 14.7% (one-in-seven bookings). HRS, GHIX and Expedia are also dominant players.
Total commission paid to intermediaries is estimated to be Euros 159m of which Euros 101m went to online channels and OTAs representing the largest amount with an estimated Euros 85m.
Of hotels questioned, 40% say they use mobile sales channels compared with 33% in 2011. Respondents say they use mobile optimised websites as opposed to applications.
Interesting to note that a study from Susquehanna Financial Group in late 2011 (comments also worth reading) showed booking.com driving as much as 50% of European online hotel reservations, 30% from other OTAs and the remaining 20% from hotels' own websites.
The research was put together by the Swiss Hotel Association and the Insitute for Tourism of the University of Applied Sciences in December 2012 and January 2013.