IMPACT OF ONLINE TRAVEL AGENCIES ON HOTEL BUSINESS IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Lejla Ahmić, Almir Peštek, Lejla Turulja
DOI: 10.35666/25662880.2015.1.426
UDC: 338.486.22/.3(497.6)
Abstract: New online trends have been changing the global tourism market, making it highly competitive and complex, and therefore hotels are faced with many challenges in doing their business and attracting guests. Online travel agencies (OTA) as intermediaries on the tourism market have a huge impact on operations of hotels worldwide. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of OTAs on hotel business in Bosnia and Herzegovina. An online study was conducted on a sample of 58 hotels (out of 100 planned to be involved) in November 2014. A structured questionnaire based on studies of Caliskan et al. (2013) and Sisko (2013) was used. The results of the study show that the hotels in Bosnia and Herzegovina have adapted to global tourism trends and cooperate with OTAs, especially with Booking.com and Expedia.com. Most hotels simultaneously cooperate with more than one OTA. Although the costs of cooperation with OTAs were considered to be high, they generate most of bookings for the hotels. Therefore, OTAs are recognized as generators of sales and revenues from standard hotel services and creators of their competitive position. At the same time, cooperation with OTAs does not lead to a significant decrease of costs.
Key words: hotels, online travel agencies, Bosnia and Herzegovina