The study – also on Austria, Belgium, Poland, Spain and Sweden – was conducted in 2021 and covers the period between 2017 and 2021, aiming to establish whether hotels’ distribution practices differ between Member States.

The results of the market study do not indicate any significant change in the competitive situation in the hotel accommodation distribution sector in the EU compared to 2016.

Also, it was found that online travel agencies account for 44 per cent of independent hotel room sales, a slight increase relative to 2016. Furthermore, Booking.com and Expedia remain the leading online agencies for hotel bookings and there is no sign of significant changes in market shares or of new entries in the market.

The commission rates paid by hotels to online travel agencies appear to have remained stable or slightly decreased, while the level of room price and room availability differentiation applied by hotels both between different online agencies and between the hotels’ own websites and online agencies appears to have decreased.

However the study found that it appears that some online agencies use commercial measures, such as improved/reduced visibility on their websites, to incentivise hotels to give them the best room prices and conditions.

Source: Cyprus Mail