Impact of online travel agencies (OTAs) on traditional travel businesses: a meta-analysis

Abstract

This article assesses the robustness of the relationship between online travel agencies (OTAs) and the performance of traditional travel agencies. The relationship is assessed based on four contextual factors classified into organisational, strategic and contextual variables. To test the study hypotheses, a quantitative meta-analysis is undertaken, and 10 effect sizes from studies published between 2013 and 2024 are considered for the final sample size (n = 6 346). The results of the meta-analysis indicate a significant negative correlation between OTAs and traditional agency performance at the cumulative level of –0.45, which demonstrates an effect size of medium-to-large. The potential moderating effects for four types of study characteristic variables, such as organisational (agency size), strategic (service specialisation), contextual (geographic region) and technological (digital adaptation), were investigated. These relationships are moderated by agency size, service specialisation, geographic region and digital adaptation. More importantly, the study identifies the factors that condition the extent of OTA disruption. There is no prior meta-analysis conducted for this fundamental relationship.