DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS: HOW ANALYTICS IS RESHAPING MARKETING STRATEGY

ABSTRACT The way Indian consumers find, evaluate, and reserve lodging has been completely transformed by online travel agencies (OTAs). Hotel competitiveness, customer expectations, and pricing transparency have all been greatly impacted by their increasing dominance. This study looks at how customers view OTA services and how much service quality, accessibility, and trust are impacted by OTA-hotel partnerships. The study examines booking behaviour, reliance on reviews, customer expectations from OTA-hotel partnerships, and satisfaction levels using a dataset of more than 150 respondents from various backgrounds. The findings show that customers rely heavily on OTAs for convenience and transparency, but they occasionally express dissatisfaction with listing accuracy and customer service responsiveness.The results highlight the necessity of increased cooperation between OTAs and hotels in order to guarantee dependable information, accessible facilities, and consistent service delivery. The study comes to the conclusion that although OTAs are appreciated for their convenience and affordability, hotels and platform operators must take joint responsibility for long-term improvements. Keywords: Online Travel Agencies (OTA), Customer Satisfaction, Hospitality Sector, OTA–Hotel Collaboration, Digital Booking Behaviour.