Hotel bookings in France are dominated by third party sites - and growth of the direct channel is tipped to slow over the next five years.
According to channel management provider Siteminder, direct bookings in France have grown by just 2.6% since 2012.
That figure is expected to fall to 2.1% in the lead up to 2022, with third-party booking sites tipped to grab a 71.5% share of the country's web sales.
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It is claimed the scaling back of growth of the direct channel will hit hotels in France as they seek to tighten, not lengthen, their relationships with guests.
Siteminder's France and DACH regional manager, Clemens Fisch, says the situation is "ironic".
France was one of the "first markets to make sure rate parity was a non-issue for local hotels", he says.
He adds: "I believe it’s time France’s hotels assess the balance of their distribution strategies, and capitalise on the continued rise of tourism entering the country by taking more ownership of their supply."
Online hotel sales across the board have grown by 15% since 2012, and will hit $10 billion in sales by 2022.
Some 70% of hotel sales are for domestic customers, with Paris a huge draw for tourists from in and outside of the country, especially the U.K., Germany and Belgium.
Siteminder says 21% of online travel sales made within France are coming from a mobile device.