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20 sourced figures · 8 sources

Online booking: key figures for local businesses in 2026

How many bookings come through the internet, how many arrive while the business is closed, how many customers do not show up, how platforms get paid and what customers expect. Restaurants, hotels, salons: each figure has its source next to it, and an “At Voxtya” block shows what we observe.

A reference page, not a tool: figures from published studies on this topic, each with a clickable source, and what they mean for your business. To read, quote and share.

Updated By the Voxtya team Method and sources

Quick answer

In Europe, 45.1% of hotel nights are booked through an online channel and online travel agencies take 29.6% (HOTREC, 2023 data). In salons, 46% of online appointments are booked while the salon is closed (Phorest, 2019). The recorded restaurant no-show rate averages 2.33%, but reaches 5.88% in France, the highest of the 12 countries measured (Resos, 2025-2026).

Key takeaways

  • Nearly half of hotel bookings already happen online (45.1% of nights in Europe, HOTREC 2024).
  • A large share of bookings arrives while you are closed: 46% of online salon appointments (Phorest 2019).
  • No-shows are higher in France than elsewhere: 5.88% of restaurant bookings, against a 2.33% average (Resos).
  • Customers want to book and change bookings online: 87% prefer a restaurant that allows it (Zenchef and Lightspeed, Netherlands).

Headline figures

45.1% of hotel nights in Europe are booked in real time through an online channel (online travel agencies, the hotel’s booking engine, social media…). HOTREC / HES-SO · 2024 46% of online appointments across over 5,000 salons and spas were booked while the salon was closed. Phorest Salon Software · 2019 2.33% of restaurant bookings are recorded no-shows, on average across 3,768,761 bookings and 2,417 restaurants. Resos · 2026 29.6% of hotel nights in Europe went through an online travel agency in 2023, up from 19.7% in 2013. HOTREC / HES-SO · 2024

What share of bookings is made online?

The best-measured sector is hotels: the HOTREC study tracks over 3,000 hotels in Europe.

45.1%

of hotel nights in Europe are booked in real time through an online channel (online travel agencies, the hotel’s booking engine, social media…).

Source : HOTREC / HES-SO, Hotel Distribution Study 2024 (Europe)

12.3%

of nights come through the booking engine on the hotel’s own website, up from 7.4% in 2013.

Source : HOTREC / HES-SO, Hotel Distribution Study 2024 (Europe)

52.8%

of nights at the French hotels studied are booked directly with the hotel, 30.1% through an online travel agency (146 hotels).

Source : HOTREC / HES-SO, Hotel Distribution Study 2024 (Europe)

What it means for you

For restaurants and salons, no recent national public statistic measures the share of bookings made online: we do not publish an estimate.

How many bookings arrive outside opening hours?

Customers book when they think of it: in the evening, early in the morning, on Sundays.

46%

of online appointments across over 5,000 salons and spas were booked while the salon was closed.

Source : Phorest Salon Software, via HJ, 2019

28%

in the evening after closing and 18% in the morning before opening: the breakdown of that 46% given by the source.

Source : Phorest Salon Software, via HJ, 2019

38%

of online salon bookings are made between 6pm and 9am, when the salon is usually closed.

Source : Booksy, 2021

What it means for you

Without online booking, these customers reach a voicemail or book elsewhere. A booking page open day and night captures them.

No-shows: how many customers do not turn up?

Resos publishes an index of recorded (not self-reported) no-shows across over 3.7 million restaurant bookings.

2.33%

of restaurant bookings are recorded no-shows, on average across 3,768,761 bookings and 2,417 restaurants.

Source : Resos, No-Show Index 2026 (12 countries)

5.88%

in France: the highest rate of the 12 countries measured (0.49% in Switzerland, 1.30% in Germany).

Source : Resos, No-Show Index 2026 (12 countries)

56%

of the 566,049 cancellations come within 24 hours of the meal, or after the booked time.

Source : Resos, No-Show Index 2026 (12 countries)

0.80%

no-shows on bookings secured by a payment, against 2.47% without (a raw observation, not proof of effect).

Source : Resos, No-Show Index 2026 (12 countries)

16%

fewer no-shows on bookings that received a reminder, within the same restaurants.

Source : Resos, No-Show Index 2026 (12 countries)

What it means for you

A reminder the day before and a simple confirmation cut forgotten bookings. A card guarantee can help for large tables or busy evenings.

Commissions: how booking platforms get paid

Platforms do not publish an average commission rate. Here is their measured weight and what their own pages say.

29.6%

of hotel nights in Europe went through an online travel agency in 2023, up from 19.7% in 2013.

Source : HOTREC / HES-SO, Hotel Distribution Study 2024 (Europe)

71%

of the online travel agency market is held by Booking Holding in 2023 (60% in 2013); Expedia Group holds 14.4%.

Source : HOTREC / HES-SO, Hotel Distribution Study 2024 (Europe)

PlatformHow it gets paid (per its official page)Source
TheFork (restaurants)Commission calculated as a percentage of the average spend of each customer brought by TheFork, Tripadvisor and partners; bookings from your own website, Instagram or Facebook are included in the subscription. TheFork Manager, pricing page (2026)
Zenchef (restaurants)“€0 commission per cover” on the Reserve plan, with a monthly subscription. Zenchef, pricing page (2026)
Booking.com (accommodation)The property pays a commission on each booking; it is higher for Preferred Partner Programme members and is one of the ranking factors. Booking.com, “How we work” (2026)

What it means for you

A platform brings new customers, but every customer who comes back through it is paid for again. With a commission-free tool, bookings taken on your own website cost nothing beyond the subscription.

What customers expect from online booking

Booking is no longer enough: customers also want to change or cancel without calling.

87%

of restaurant guests are more likely to book at a restaurant that offers online booking.

Source : Zenchef and Lightspeed, 2025 survey (Netherlands)

77%

consider it important to manage their booking online, including changing or cancelling it.

Source : Zenchef and Lightspeed, 2025 survey (Netherlands)

62%

change their booking online; 24% still prefer to call the restaurant.

Source : Zenchef and Lightspeed, 2025 survey (Netherlands)

22%

of restaurant owners have started asking for a deposit at booking to reduce no-shows.

Source : Zenchef and Lightspeed, 2025 survey (Netherlands)

What it means for you

The phone is still useful for part of your customers: keep it, but put a visible booking link on your Google profile, website and social media.

The Voxtya service

Act on these figures with Voxtya

A large share of bookings arrives while you are closed, and every forgotten booking is an empty table. Voxtya’s Bookings service covers both:

  • A booking page open day and night, on your website, Google profile and social media, with no per-cover commission.
  • A confirmation and a reminder sent to the customer before the visit, and the day’s schedule in one place.
  • After the visit, a review request sent at the right moment, if you also use Review collection.

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Method and sources

Figures read on 3 November 2026 on each source page, without rounding. HOTREC / HES-SO Valais: 3,089 hotels in Europe including 146 in France, 2023 data. Resos: recorded (not self-reported) no-shows across 3,768,761 bookings at 2,417 restaurants in 12 countries, 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2026. Phorest: over 5,000 salons and spas (2019). Booksy: platform data (2021). Zenchef and Lightspeed: 1,140 restaurant guests and 250 owners in the Netherlands (2025). For commissions we quote the platforms’ official pages: none publishes an average rate, and we do not reuse third-party estimates. The “At Voxtya” block is computed by a script from our database (read-only, demo and test accounts excluded, opening hours as posted by the business, Paris time).

Go further

What share of hotel bookings is made online?
According to HOTREC’s 2024 study (2023 data), 45.1% of hotel nights in Europe are booked in real time through an online channel, and 29.6% go through an online travel agency.
How many bookings are made outside opening hours?
In salons, 46% of online appointments are booked while the salon is closed (Phorest, over 5,000 salons, 2019); Booksy measures 38% between 6pm and 9am (2021).
What is the restaurant no-show rate in France?
The Resos index (August 2025 to July 2026) records 5.88% no-shows in France, against a 2.33% average across 12 countries.
How much does a booking platform cost?
Platforms do not publish an average rate. TheFork states a commission based on the average spend of the customers it brings, Booking.com a commission per booking, Zenchef a subscription with no per-cover commission on its Reserve plan.
How can you reduce no-shows?
Resos data links a reminder before the visit to 16% fewer no-shows, and bookings secured by payment show 0.80% no-shows against 2.47% without.
Are the “At Voxtya” figures representative?
No. They cover a small number of bookings received by our customers (n and period under each figure). They show what we observe, not an average.
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