Are you used to comparing accommodation prices between Booking and the hotel's own website to find the cheapest? Until now, the global platform often offered the most advantageous prices. This could well change.
Since Thursday November 14, the Dutch reservation platform Booking has been subject to new competition rules. The European Commission explains that this means in concrete terms that European hotels and car rental companies, among others, “ may offer different (and possibly better) prices and conditions on their own website or other channels than on Booking.com » writes La Voix du Nord.
Tech giant
Why this change? Last May, Booking entered the panel of tech giants subject to new regulations in the European Union under the new « Digital Markets Act »the Digital Markets Regulation. He notably joined Amazon, Apple, Meta and Microsoft.
Nearly 300 million nights booked in the second quarter of 2024
Regarding the details of the new rules, “ Booking will not have the right to increase commission rates or delist offers » Companies which offer different prices on a site other than Booking, the Commission specified. This new regulation makes it possible to increase fair conditions of competition with other platforms and service providers adds the European body.
Booking.com meets the requirements of the Digital Markets Act
The Booking platform is exposed to fines of up to 10% of the company's global turnover and 20% if the offense is repeated. Booking has already protected itself by asserting that “at As of today, Booking.com meets the requirements of the Digital Markets Act.
Number one
Booking is the most popular platform for booking accommodation. According to a Statista study from November 2024, more than one in two users surveyed have booked accommodation on the platform in the last twelve months. Nearly 300 million nights have also been booked around the world in the second quarter of 2024 on the reservation site, according to Booking.
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