The pros and cons of online booking

The 21st century can be considered the age of the Internet. Just under 0.5 billion people in the world used the Internet, and as of 2019, the number of Internet users reaches 4.5 billion people. And the tourism business keeps up with the trends. Today the hotel booking method is available not only in the classical way: offline at the reception, but also online - directly from your home and from anywhere in the city.

Let's start with the main advantage - convenience. It is difficult to argue with this convenience, because it is much more convenient to book from home than to look for an accommodation option upon arrival.

Security is the second point. If you book your stay through a major website such as «Booking.com» or «Hotels.com», you can ask for help if you have any problems.

Variety of options. On the Internet, you can find a lot of accommodation options. A day will not be enough for you to go around all hotels in Prague or Sochi, when on the Internet you can browse the options in the shortest possible time. And so that you don't have to compare hundreds of options, you can always set filters and choose only among what you initially like.

The disadvantage is chargebacks. Many online services guarantee free cancellation, but what if the hotel has been paid for in full, but plans have changed and the trip will not take place? In the case of booking via the Internet, it is possible that the money will be returned to you for a long time - sometimes several months.

Spam. If you have booked something in online systems, the system will automatically start sending you various spam and special offers without your consent.

Having studied the question "online hotel booking: pros and cons", it is clear that there are much more pluses than minuses. But it seems to me that hoteliers need to be able to correctly combine all available opportunities: offline and online sales, then their business will be successful.