{"id":10920,"date":"2025-05-23T08:27:24","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T05:27:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travellingbuzz.com\/?p=10920"},"modified":"2025-05-26T17:36:26","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T14:36:26","slug":"booking-com-ends-direct-affiliates-heres-what-bloggers-can-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travellingbuzz.com\/booking-com-ends-direct-affiliates-heres-what-bloggers-can-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Booking.com Ends Direct Affiliates \u2013 Here\u2019s What Bloggers Can Do"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"booking<\/h1>\n

Booking.com Ends Direct Affiliates \u2013 Here\u2019s What Bloggers Can Do<\/h1>\n

If you\u2019re a travel blogger or content creator, you might have recently received the dreaded \u201cTermination of Partnership\u201d email from Booking.com. Like many of us, I initially panicked. But after digging in, it turns out Booking.com isn\u2019t cutting ties completely \u2013 they\u2019re just moving their affiliate program to networks like Awin and CJ, depending on your region.<\/p>\n

While that\u2019s one path forward, there\u2019s another solid option you might not have considered: Stay22<\/strong>. Here\u2019s why I\u2019m giving it a serious look.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Going On With Booking.com?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In May 2025<\/strong> it became clear that Booking.com is shutting down<\/strong><\/a> its direct affiliate program. And this became clear not from Booking.com directly \u2013 but from the many travel bloggers sharing the shocking termination news they received over email.<\/p>\n

Here’s the email many bloggers already received:<\/p>\n

“Important Notice: Termination of Partnership<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Dear Partner,<\/em><\/p>\n

At Booking.com, we are constantly evaluating our partnerships to align with our business priorities.<\/em><\/p>\n

We have determined that our current strategic focus unfortunately does not support continuing our partnership.<\/em><\/p>\n

This message serves as your 30-day written notice. After this period, we will exercise our legal right to terminate our Partner Agreement (Partner ID: XXX) for convenience on XX June 2025.”<\/em><\/p>\n

While the email is vague, it seems likely that Booking.com is doing this to cut costs and streamline operations by offloading partner management to third-party networks like Awin and CJ.<\/div>\n

And now, Booking.com is redirecting everyone to sign up through affiliate networks \u2013 CJ for Europe<\/strong> and Awin for everywhere else<\/strong> (as shown in their official notice). Here’s the official Booking.com message from their partnership page<\/a> as of today (23 May 2025):<\/p>\n

\"Booking.com<\/a><\/p>\n

What does that mean for travel bloggers?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This change requires all current partners to reapply through these networks<\/strong>, update all tracking links,<\/strong> and agree to new terms and commission structures<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc49 Here’s a reddit thread<\/a> on the topic where you can follow some news and updates from bloggers.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc49 Here’s a topic on Travel Massive<\/a> where you can follow more community comments.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc49 Here’s another article with a break down of the situation<\/a> going more into details.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What Are Your Options as a Travel Blogger at the Moment?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u2705 Register to\u00a0Awin or CJ<\/strong>
Reconnect with Booking.com through a third-party network they mention \u2013 Awin or CJ, and update all your links. Downside is manually updating all your links. Imagine if you have 100+ links already \u2013 does it mean you have to go through every single one and change it? This sounds horrid.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Switch to Stay22<\/strong>
A way better alternative in my opinion is switching to Stay22<\/a> \u2013 also a third-party affiliate platform but the difference is it switches ALL your links automatically, with a quick 5-minute script setup. Stay22\u00a0aggregates options from multiple OTAs (including Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, Agoda and more) into one simple tool \u2013 and it switches between platforms depending on your reader’s location and intent. Stay22 has proofed to be highly successful among travel bloggers already so it’s a no-brainer. You can use my Stay22 referral code<\/a> for a small bonus boost.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Explore other direct affiliate programs<\/strong>
Platforms like Expedia, Agoda, or HotelsCombined also offer strong direct affiliate programs, often through the same networks. But the downside is you have to work with them separately, manually insert links and also \u2013 figure out which region prefers which platform and adjust accordingly. This also sounds like too much work.<\/p>\n

\u2705 Build direct hotel relationships
\n<\/strong>Partnering directly with boutique hotels or hotel groups for custom affiliate deals or collaborations might be an option. Especially if you already notice that you’re bringing in multiple bookings to specific hotels or chains. This route can be rewarding but does require some legwork: you’ll need to build a personal relationship with the hotel\u2019s marketing or partnership team, and the hotel must have its own affiliate or tracking system in place to make it work.<\/p>\n

Why Consider Stay22?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I still think Stay22<\/strong> is the best alternative affiliate platform specifically designed for travel creators. It\u2019s not just another affiliate network \u2013 it\u2019s built with bloggers in mind.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what makes it stand out:<\/p>\n