HOTREC: Booking.com Soon to Be Designated As Gatekeeper

Booking.com announcement on its gatekeeper status is the first step to its formal designation under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The European hotel industry has been long warning of unfair business practices of the largest Online Travel Agent (OTA) and calls for more fairness and transparency in the online accommodation market. We hope that the European Commission will designate the company as a gatekeeper as soon as possible.

The notification of Booking.com represents an important milestone after over a decade-long struggle of European hoteliers with unfair practices of Booking. We fully expect that the company will adjust its business behaviour such as removing all price parity clauses, enabling access to data generated by listings and allowing hoteliers to opt out of various services that entrench them in Booking services.

HOTREC expects Booking.com to conduct a transparent process and inform of proposed changes in a timely manner when changing various aspects of its business operations. We fully believe that any updates must not be introduced to circumvent obligations under the DMA.

Marie Audren, HOTREC Director General, commented: ‘This notification is only the first step in ensuring that Booking will be fully compliant with the DMA. HOTREC remains available for constructive and transparent engagement with Booking and the European Commission’’.

According to HOTREC distribution study, Booking’s market share on the hotel accommodation market has increased considerably from 60% in 2013 to 71% in 2021. The next edition of the HOTREC distribution study will be delivered in June 2024.