While OTAs account for the majority of bookings worldwide, they seem to be facing some headwinds of late. Whilst Booking is obliged to pay fees to eTraveli after failing to complete its takeover, Expedia and Tripadvisor are shedding a large number of staff in order to stay afloat. Could this empty period for the distribution giants be a godsend for hoteliers? Will we see an explosion in direct sales? Only time will tell, but this analysis offers some initial clues.