Own your bookings, own your business
A complete digital foundation for NZ tourism and hospitality businesses ready to reduce OTA dependency and build direct relationships with guests.
Book a Discovery CallOwn your bookings, own your business
A complete digital foundation for NZ tourism and hospitality businesses ready to reduce OTA dependency and build direct relationships with guests.
OTAs are eating your margins
Booking.com, Expedia, and Airbnb have trained travellers to book through their platforms. For many NZ tourism operators, these channels represent 50-80% of revenue — at 15-25% commission per booking.
The maths is brutal: a $300/night accommodation paying 20% commission gives away $60 per night. Over a year, that's tens of thousands of dollars in commission — money that could fund marketing, property improvements, or your own direct booking capability.
Launch builds the digital infrastructure to shift that balance. Not replacing OTAs entirely (they still have value for discovery), but building a direct channel that captures more bookings at full margin. A professional website, booking capability, and marketing systems that let you own the guest relationship.
Tourism & Hospitality × LaunchWhat Launch includes
Immersive tourism website
A visually stunning website that sells the experience — full-bleed imagery, video backgrounds, and narrative design that inspires bookings.
Booking system integration
Direct booking capability integrated with your channel manager. Real-time availability, instant confirmation, and payment processing.
SEO for tourism
Targeting the search terms travellers actually use — 'accommodation [region] NZ', 'best things to do [location]'. Local and international SEO strategy.
Guest communication system
Automated pre-arrival emails, post-stay review requests, and guest relationship management. Build repeat bookings and referrals.
Content & storytelling strategy
A content plan covering seasonal offerings, local attractions, and experience stories. Designed to rank for high-intent travel searches.
How Launch works
Discovery & site visit
We visit your property or experience to understand what makes it special. Professional photography and video capture included.
Strategy & design
Brand positioning, website architecture, booking flow design, and content strategy tailored to your target guest profile.
Build & integrate
Website development, booking system integration, channel manager connection, and marketing automation setup.
Launch & optimise
Go live with training on managing bookings, updating content, and tracking performance. Ongoing support available.
Expected outcomes
Increased direct bookings
Shift from OTA-dependent to direct-booking capable. Most operators see 20-40% of bookings move to direct within six months.
Higher margins
Every direct booking saves 15-25% commission. On $200k annual revenue, that's $30-50k back in your pocket.
Guest relationship ownership
You own the guest data and communication. Build loyalty, drive repeat visits, and generate referrals that OTAs can't provide.
Brand differentiation
Stand out from the endless scroll of OTA listings with a website that tells your story and sells your unique experience.
Frequently asked questions
No. OTAs are valuable for discovery — they introduce new guests to your business. The goal is to reduce dependency, not eliminate them. Aim for a healthy mix of direct and OTA bookings.
It depends on your business type. We work with ResBook, BookingHQ, FareHarbor, and others. We'll recommend the right fit for your size and complexity.
Typically 6-8 weeks including the site visit and photography. We time launches to land before your peak booking season.
Absolutely. Multi-language, multi-currency, and international SEO are all part of Launch for tourism operators targeting overseas visitors.
Over 60% of travel research and a growing percentage of bookings happen on mobile. Every website we build is mobile-first with optimised booking flows for smaller screens.
Ready to talk about tourism & hospitality?
Book a free discovery call. No sales pitch — just an honest conversation about what your business needs.