The battle for direct sales is fierce. For years, OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) have dominated the market, acting as almost indispensable intermediaries and, of course, taking their fair share. But times are changing, and a heavyweight like Lopesan Hotel Group is proving that with a well-thought-out and executed digital strategy, profitability in southern Gran Canaria is not only maintained, but actually skyrocketed. These figures are not a pipe dream; they are the result of a smart move.
Lopesan, with over fifty years of experience and a portfolio comprising 22 hotels in five countries under six different brands (from the exclusivity of The Lopesan Collection Hotels to the versatility of Abora by Lopesan Hotels and IFA by Lopesan Hotels), faced a triple challenge. They wanted to expand their visibility and attract quality traffic to their official website, consolidate the positioning of their direct channel in the face of the omnipresence of OTAs, and, most importantly, optimize the profitability of Tripadvisor as a source of business. The task was not easy, but the vision was clear.
As Claudia Bueno Montoro, Brand and Content Manager at Lopesan Hotel Group, who initially had reservations, rightly points out: "The result exceeded expectations, as not only did we increase traffic to our website through Tripadvisor, but we also achieved a very good ROI. Without a doubt, ROI management and optimization made the difference." They see it. The battle for direct customers is not only possible, but highly profitable when invested wisely and with the right partner. This is the path for the future of the sector.
The solution came through a strategic activation of Tripadvisor Business Advantage (TABA), with the essential support of Roiback Digital, experts in the field. After seeing the excellent results of previous metasearch campaigns, Lopesan decided to take the plunge. Roiback, as Tripadvisor's marketing partner, facilitated the implementation of TABA on 15 hotel profiles across the Canary Islands, Punta Cana, and Thailand. The main objective was to intercept users during the trip planning phase and intelligently direct them to the official Lopesan website, maximizing direct conversions.
The strategy was based on a perfect synergy between the chain's own work and Roiback's expertise. On the one hand, Lopesan focused on perfecting its Tripadvisor ratings (always aiming for a 5/5), optimizing the visibility of each hotel in its destination. They fully exploited the advantages of TABA, selecting the best cover photos and videos, highlighting key reviews, and creating inspiring storyboards that encouraged bookings. They also leveraged Tripadvisor's Analytics Suite to measure their performance and analyze the competition. Special offers on special dates like Valentine's Day and Black Friday were the icing on the cake.
On the other hand, Roiback handled the technical and operational setup: establishing contact links to the official website, package landing pages, and exclusive promotions on all profiles. They also ensured direct contact information was included and special offers were kept up-to-date and translated into all languages. Crucial was the configuration of deeplink parameters for accurate booking tracking in the hotel's central system. This digital plumbing work is invisible but vital.
The results were not long in coming, and they are overwhelming. Lopesan achieved a 52% increase in traffic share from the direct channel compared to OTAs (compared to the previous year without TABA). This is, without a doubt, a strategic victory. The ROI (Return on Investment) was €19 for every euro invested, a figure many would have liked. Furthermore, the ABV (Average Booking Value) grew by 38% compared to other direct channels, which means not only are they selling more, but they are selling better. With a CTR (Click Through Rate) of 6% and a CPA (Cost per Acquisition) of 5%, the efficiency of the investment is indisputable.
