HOTREC: EU Digital Rules Ensure Fair Play for Travel and Accommodation

HOTREC, the umbrella association of hotels, restaurants and cafés in Europe, recently welcomed a series of EU measures on digital policy that ensure a balanced and fair market, protect citizens’ interests, and effectively manage tourist flows.

“EU digital rules must support destinations and local businesses: they are the reason why consumers go online to book travel and accommodation in the first place,” said Markus Luthe, chair of HOTREC’s Distribution Working Group.

The European Commission policy proposal for the next two years lays out the responsibilities of online platforms and strengthens administrative cooperation between competent authorities; clarifies business-to-government and B2B data sharing practices; promotes and protects the interests of platform workers; introduces a digital education action plan to prepare young people for the digital age; and introduces a digital taxation initiative that takes into account progress made in the context of the OECD.

“When it comes to the impact of digital on tourism, there is clear need to ensure that local authorities can set out measures of public interest as they see fit, collect taxes and manage flows. They cannot act with only limited access to platform’s data and a patchy regulatory framework,” added Luthe, who also heads the German Hotel Association.

The overall aim of the strategy is to help SMEs become more competitive and innovative, create more jobs and benefit from digitization, HOTREC said in a statement.

Greece’s Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH) is a member of HOTREC.