OTA (online travel agency)
- An OTA is a marketplace where travellers book accommodation — Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo and Expedia are the largest for short-term rentals.
- Category: Distribution
How OTAs work for hosts
The OTA advertises your property, processes the guest payment and takes a commission or service fee per booking. In exchange you get access to demand you could never reach alone — Booking.com alone lists millions of properties and serves travellers in more than 40 languages.
What it means in practice
Each OTA has its own audience, rules and calendar. Most hosts earn more listing on several at once, which is why channel managers (and managed services like Stays) exist.
Part of the Stays short-term rental glossary.
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