# Booking funnel and direct booking calculator

> Free booking funnel calculator for hotels and tour operators: step conversion, drop-off, what-if improvements and what direct bookings keep versus OTAs.

Canonical: https://njoy.consulting/booking-funnel-calculator
Last updated: 2026-10-24

See where website visitors drop out before booking, what a small improvement at one step is worth, and how much more a direct booking keeps than the same booking through an OTA.

## Your monthly numbers

The pre-filled figures are an illustration only, not benchmarks. Replace them with one month of your own data.

Website visits

Sessions or visits in the month.

Availability searches

Visits that checked dates or availability.

Checkout starts

Visits that started entering guest or payment details.

Bookings

Confirmed direct bookings on the website.

Average booking value

Total booking revenue divided by bookings.

Currency

OTA commission (%)

Editable. Use the rate in your own OTA contracts.

Direct booking costs (%)

Optional. Payment, booking engine or other per-booking costs.

## Funnel results

**Step conversion and drop-off**

| Step | Count | Conversion from previous step | Drop-off |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Visits | - | - | - |
| Availability searches | - | - | - |
| Checkout starts | - | - | - |
| Bookings | - | - | - |

- Visit to booking rate

- Booking revenue per month

- Per year (x12)

## What if one step improves?

Step to improve

Relative improvement (%)

For example 10 turns a 30% step rate into 33%.

- New step rate

- Extra bookings per month

- Extra revenue per month

- Extra revenue per year

## Direct versus OTA: what is kept

- OTA commission per booking

- Kept per direct booking

- Kept per year on current direct bookings

Bookings moved from OTA to direct per month

A what-if figure, not a forecast.

- Extra kept per year from moved bookings

## Where to find each number

**Data sources for each funnel step**

| Input | Usual source | Watch out for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Website visits | GA4 sessions for the month | Exclude staff and agency traffic where possible. |
| Availability searches | Booking engine search events, or a GA4 event when dates are submitted | A booking engine on another domain needs cross-domain tracking, or searches look like exits. |
| Checkout starts | GA4 `begin_checkout` or the booking engine's guest details step | Count each visit once, not every page reload. |
| Bookings and value | Booking engine reports or GA4 `purchase` events | Use confirmed bookings and the same currency and tax basis throughout. |
| OTA commission | Your OTA contracts and invoices | Include programme or visibility fees that raise the effective rate. |

## How to use the results

1. Enter one month of data from the same date range for every step.
2. Find the step with the largest drop-off. That is usually the best place to start.
3. Test the likely cause at that step, for example rates that differ from the OTA price, a slow booking engine on mobile, or surprise fees at checkout.
4. Use the what-if model to put a value on a modest improvement before spending on a fix.
5. Compare the commission kept per direct booking with what it costs to win that booking, so marketing spend stays below the commission it replaces.

Tag the links that bring guests to the website with the [UTM builder and checker](https://njoy.consulting/utm-builder), so each funnel step can be split by channel.

## Frequently asked questions

**What is a booking funnel?**

It is the path from a website visit to a confirmed booking: a visit, an availability or date search, the start of checkout, and a completed booking. Measuring each step shows where most guests drop out.

**Where do the numbers come from?**

Visits come from GA4 or your analytics tool. Availability searches and checkout starts usually come from booking engine reports or GA4 events, for example `begin_checkout`. Bookings and booking value come from the booking engine or `purchase` events. Use the same date range for every number.

**What OTA commission rate should be entered?**

Use the rate in your own OTA contracts, including any extra visibility or programme fees. The 15% default is only a starting value to edit.

**Why does the calculator include direct booking costs?**

Direct bookings are not free. Payment processing, booking engine fees and marketing all cost something, so the saving versus an OTA booking is the commission minus those costs.

**Is the what-if model a forecast?**

No. It shows the arithmetic effect of one step converting better while everything else stays the same. Real results depend on demand, availability, pricing and seasonality.

**Is any data sent to NJoy Consulting?**

No. All calculations run in your browser and nothing you enter is uploaded or stored.

## Private by design

Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded, stored or sent to NJoy Consulting or anyone else. No signup.

## Related tools and guides

[UTM builder and checker →](https://njoy.consulting/utm-builder)

[OTA commission calculator →](https://njoy.consulting/calculator)

[How to reduce OTA dependency →](https://njoy.consulting/articles/ota-dependency-direct-bookings)

[All free resources →](https://njoy.consulting/resources)

## Want a second pair of eyes?

NJoy Consulting helps hotels, tour operators and travel brands set up tracking that answers real booking questions.

[Get in touch](https://njoy.consulting/contact)