Articles tagged “eu”

Member states of the European Union have little in the way of coordinated short-term rental policies other than a data-sharing pact. It's premature to predict whether a proposed affordable housing plan will have any answers.

Europe is looking to rail to cut travel emissions, yet airlines still enjoy the tax breaks that help keep flights cheap. Rail, by contrast, is taxed and charged to use tracks, despite being the greener option. For the industry, that imbalance means airlines may keep winning on price until policymakers put climate goals above cheap tickets.

Major online travel agencies backing the EU’s review code want to be seen as increasing trust in their reviews, but enforcement will determine if it’s more than PR.

As the saying goes about changes to the way Google displays flights, the devil will be in the details.

If the European Commission's decision isn't overturned, one implication may be that Booking.com would be precluded in practice from making major acquisitions. Period.

Tripadvisor's generative AI entry is playing to its strengths — tours and activities, and restaurant reservations. Hotels? Maybe they'll get added later.

All would admit that the way online travel companies display the climate impact of flights is vague and inadequate. But help is on the way.

The fine print would ultimately determine the financial impact of the Digital Markets Act. But the fact that Booking Holdings filed a statement from Booking.com with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission about it this week means it believes the repercussions could be material to its operations.

Google faces a tougher hill to climb than Booking, although the European Commission's statement of objections puts Booking's Etraveli acquisition in doubt.

Calculating the actual environmental impact of flights has been an immature art. Getting real data from Lufthansa should advance the effort.