Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport — the Global Distribution Systems that have quietly powered global travel for more than three decades — are experiencing a resurgence few saw coming. Once viewed as a mature distribution backbone, the GDS is now the fastest-growing hotel booking channel of 2024, outperforming every major third-party channel except direct.
And this is not a temporary rebound. It is the beginning of a new growth cycle.
According to Skift Research's Hotel Distribution Outlook 2024, GDS hotel bookings are expected to increase 125% by 2030, driven by deeper structural changes in how travelers plan, book, and combine business and leisure travel. What had long been treated as the "corporate channel" has expanded far beyond that definition.
A strengthening channel that signals what comes next
Recent performance data shows a channel gaining momentum at scale. The Knowland & Amadeus Group & Business Performance Index 2024 reports that GDS bookings rose by 13.5%, room nights increased by 11%, and ADR climbed 2.4%. These gains reflect something more fundamental than recovery: the return of systemized travel behavior and a renewed reliance on structured, trusted inventory.
Across continents and segments, the GDS is regaining its position as the default environment for controlled, higher-value travel.
Corporate travel's return is reorganizing around the GDS
Corporate travel programs have re-emerged with clearer rules, stricter policies, and a renewed emphasis on approval flows, reporting, and duty of care. That naturally brings the GDS back to the center of corporate travel.
Everything that defines modern managed travel — compliance, cost control, traveler safety, sustainability reporting — is built on top of the GDS infrastructure. As companies tighten oversight, the channel becomes the anchor once again. Most corporate journeys begin inside a GDS-connected environment, and this pattern will only strengthen through the decade.
Bleisure trips extend the impact of every GDS booking
One of the strongest forces behind the GDS momentum is the rise of bleisure travel. Amadeus reports that 30–40% of business trips now include leisure extensions. What starts as a policy-compliant business booking often evolves into a longer, more profitable stay. Even if the leisure nights aren't booked under a corporate rate, the itinerary — and the decision — originates within the GDS.
This shift increases length of stay, broadens revenue potential, and elevates the overall value of each booking that flows through the system.
High-spending leisure travelers are quietly moving into GDS channels
Equally important is the transformation of premium leisure travel. Almost 30% of GDS bookings now come from affluent leisure guests, according to Amadeus and Sabre. These travelers often work with luxury advisors, boutique agencies, and specialists who prefer the GDS for its reliability, accuracy, and structured content.
As the demand for curated, higher-end travel experiences grows, more of that volume is naturally routed through the GDS — not through OTAs or consumer platforms.
A high-ROI, high-integrity channel entering its prime
Hotels have become more disciplined about distribution cost and reliability, which is precisely where the GDS stands out. It offers lower acquisition costs than OTAs, attracts guests with higher on-property spend, and provides a steadier demand pattern with fewer cancellations. More importantly, it operates on quality, not volatility: the hotels that present clean rates, accurate availability, and well-structured room content perform best.
In a world increasingly shaped by automation and AI-driven search, a channel built on structured, validated data is well positioned for long-term growth.