Why direct booking is cheaper? You don’t pay the commission for the partnership between the hotels or b&b and the Online Travel Agency like booking.com. I pay 15% but hotels even more than 20%. The OTA do not pay taxes on the country they get money, we pay commissions even on taxex.
When you book with an OTA you pay more, we earn less, they got money for nothing.
If you book directly, you are not a number, you are a guest.