RateGain Travel Technologies Limited has released The Direct Booking Friction Report 2026, a first-of-its-kind audit revealing that hotels across the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (APMEA) region are losing direct revenue to friction within their own digital experience rather than poor demand. The report warns that AI-powered search tools have the potential to push hotel websites out of the booking journey entirely, representing a structural shift in how travellers interact with hospitality brands online.

Key Audit Findings

The report evaluated booking journeys across 65 hotel properties in India, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the Maldives. It identified critical friction points across visibility, pricing, booking experience, and guest trust. At the visibility stage, 42% of hotels do not appear on Page 1 for unbranded search queries, rendering them invisible to high-intent travellers. During the comparison stage, 63% of properties list higher rates on their own website than on Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), actively losing guests to third-party platforms on price.

Digital Experience and Trust

The audit highlights significant inefficiencies at the booking and commitment stages. Approximately 72% of hotel websites fail the 3-second load benchmark, with average mobile load times reaching 4.1 seconds. When guests persist, they face an average of 4 clicks to confirm a reservation against a global benchmark of 3. Furthermore, 44% of hotels withhold taxes and fees until the final payment screen, identified as the single largest checkout abandonment trigger. Additionally, 1 in 3 properties expose guests to a URL or domain disconnect between their website and booking engine, introducing security anxiety.

Regional Variations and AI Impact

The report found sharp regional differences in digital maturity across APMEA markets. Singapore and Thailand set the regional benchmark with average load times of 2.9 seconds and the strongest direct price parity discipline. In contrast, the Maldives recorded the highest friction scores across speed, OTA bundle dominance, and pricing opacity. Ashish Sikka, Business Head - UNO Platforms at RateGain, noted that AI search is changing the rules of visibility faster than most hotels realize, creating an urgent need for unified platforms to fix systematic gaps.

RateGain Travel Technologies Limited has appointed Heather Moses as its new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) to strengthen its AI-first global growth strategy. Based in Boston, Moses will lead the company's global marketing function, driving category leadership, brand growth, and go-to-market strategy. The appointment, announced on May 26, 2026, underscores RateGain's focus on scaling its AI-powered SaaS solutions for the travel and hospitality industry.

Leadership Appointment Details

The key details of this leadership development are outlined below:

Strategic Significance

Heather Moses brings more than two decades of experience helping high-growth B2B technology companies scale globally. Most recently serving as Vice President of Corporate Marketing at Cornerstone OnDemand, she has held Chief Marketing Officer roles at Allego and Nexthink. Her expertise includes building high-performing global teams, scaling demand generation engines, and driving measurable commercial impact.

Bhanu Chopra, Founder and Managing Director, RateGain, said that marketing sits at the center of growth and category creation in an AI-driven world. He emphasized that Moses's experience in scaling SaaS brands and shaping category narratives is critical for RateGain as it builds one of the most comprehensive travel technology and travel intent platforms globally.

RateGain Travel Technologies Limited is a global provider of AI-powered SaaS solutions, working with over 13,000 customers and 700 partners across more than 160 countries. The company helps travel and hospitality businesses accelerate revenue generation through acquisition, retention, and wallet share expansion.