欧盟委员会：欧盟酒店住宿分布市场研究 Market study on the distribution of hotel accommodation in the EU COMP2020OP002Competition

Marketstudyonthedistributionof

hotelaccommodationintheEU

COMP/2020/OP/002

FinalReport

Competition

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MarketstudyonthedistributionofhotelaccommodationintheEU

COMP/2020/OP/002

Finalreport

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Theinformationandviewssetoutinthisreportarethoseoftheauthor(s)anddonotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialopinionoftheCommission.TheCommissiondoesnotguaranteetheaccuracyofthedataincludedinthisstudy.NeithertheCommissionnoranypersonactingontheCommission’sbehalfmaybeheldresponsiblefortheusewhichmaybemadeoftheinformationcontainedtherein.

MoreinformationontheEuropeanUnion:https://european-union.europa.eu/index_enLuxembourg:PublicationsOfficeoftheEuropeanUnion,2022

Cataloguenumber:KD-07-22-783-EN-N

ISBN:978-92-76-55592-6

DOI:10.2763/332741

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Authors:

•DavideFina

•DuyHuynh-Olesen

•RobertoSigismondo

•ChristianNeumann

•DanoMeiske

•PaulaRamada

MarketstudyonthedistributionofhotelaccommodationintheEU

TableofContents

Abstract I

Résumé II

Abstrakt III

Executivesummary IV

Synthèse IX

Zusammenfassung XV

1.Introduction,objectivesandscopeofthestudy 1

2.Methodologicalapproach 2

2.1.Task0:Inceptionandconceptualisation 3

2.2.Task1:Deskresearchtoreviewrelevantliterature 3

2.3.Task2:Collectionofdata 4

2.3.1.Sub-task2.1:CATIinterviewswithhotels 4

2.3.2.Sub-task2.1:Datacollectionfromhotelchains,OTAsandPCWs 6

2.3.3.Sub-task2.2:Complementarysourcesofinformation 7

2.4.Task3:Dataanalysis 8

3.Resultsofthestudy 9

3.1.Literaturereview 9

3.1.1.Overviewofhoteldistributionpractices 9

3.1.2.BenefitsanddisadvantagesofOTAs 16

3.1.3.Use,enforcementandimpactofOTAparityclauses 22

3.1.4.Factorsimpactinghotelroomprices 26

3.1.5.Limitations 30

3.2.Datacollectionfromstakeholders 30

3.2.1.Shareofhotelaccommodationsoldthrougheachchannel 31

3.2.2.HowhotelsuseOTAs 35

3.2.3.RelativeimportanceofindividualOTAs 37

3.2.4.OTAcommissionrates 38

3.2.5.Roompriceandroomavailabilitydifferentiationbyhotelsbetweensales

channels42

3.2.6.OTAconversionrates(look-to-bookratios)andcancellationrates 47

3.2.7.UseofmetasearchwebsitesbyOTAsandhotels 47

3.2.8.UseofonlineadvertisingbyhotelsandOTAs 49

3.2.9.Hotels’useofbedwholesalers/bedbanks 51

3.2.10.Relativecostofsaleschannelsforhotels 51

3.2.11.OTAparityclauses 53

MarketstudyonthedistributionofhotelaccommodationintheEU

3.2.12.CompliancewithandenforcementofOTAparityclauses 56

3.2.13.UseofothermeasuresbyOTAstoincentivisehotelstoofferfavourable

roompricesandinventory 57

3.2.14.Useofperformance/parityscoringbyOTAsanddisplayofhotelsinOTA

searchresults 59

3.2.15.UseofconsumerbestpriceguaranteesbyOTAsandhotels 60

3.2.16.UseofloyaltyschemesbyhotelsandOTAs 60

3.2.17.CommissionsharingandroompricediscountingbyOTAs 61

3.2.18.Otherconsumer-facingandhotel-facingcommercialstrategiesusedby

OTAs62

3.2.19.Evidenceofrecentorexpectedentryorexpansionbyplatformsoffering

pricecomparisonorbookingservicesforhotelorothershort-termaccommodation,

includingGoogleandAirbnb 62

3.2.20.Limitationsofthedatacollectionexercise 64

4.Conclusions 65

4.1.Mainfeaturesofhoteldistribution 65

4.1.1.Saleschannels–relativeimportance 65

4.1.2.Hotels’useofOTAs 65

4.1.3.OTAcommissionratesandcostsofothersaleschannels 66

4.1.4.Hotels’useofmetasearchandonlineadvertising 66

4.1.5.Price(andavailability)differentiationbetweensaleschannels 67

4.1.6.Loyaltyprogrammes 68

4.2.Differencesindistributionarrangementsbetweenthestudycountries 68

4.2.1.UseofOTAsandotherformsofmarketing 68

4.2.2.OTAparityclauses 69

4.2.3.BasicandeffectiveOTAcommissionrates 69

4.3.Changesindistributionarrangementsrelativetotheresultsofthe2016ECN

MonitoringExercise 70

4.3.1.Theshareofhotelaccommodationsoldoffline,online,directandindirect

70

4.3.2.OTAcommissionrates 71

4.3.3.Roompriceandroomavailabilitydifferentiationbetweensaleschannels

71

4.3.4.Useofmetasearchwebsitesbyhotels 72

4.4.ImpactoflawsprohibitingOTAparityclausesonhoteldistributionarrangements

73

4.5.ImpactoftheCOVID-19pandemiconhoteldistributionarrangements 75

Annex1:Bibliography 77

Annex2:SamplingmethodologyincludingSampleofhotels(independent

andchains)OTAsandmetasearch 83

Sampleofindependenthotels 83

MarketstudyonthedistributionofhotelaccommodationintheEU

Dataselection 83

Datapreparation 84

Samplingapproach 89

Sampledescription 90

Sampleofhotelchains 93

SampleofOTAsandPCWs 98

Annex3:Stakeholderquestionnaires 103

Questionnairetoindividualhotels:CATIinterview 103

Questionnairetoindividualhotels:onlinesurvey 115

Questionnairetohotelchains 128

QuestionnairetoOTAs 143

QuestionnairetoPCWs 160

MarketstudyonthedistributionofhotelaccommodationintheEU

ListofTables

Table1HoteluseofOTAsinthesixstudycountries 5

Table2Hotelbystarratinginthesixstudycountries 5

Table3Hotelbycustomertypeinthesixstudycountries 5

Table4Hotelbydestinationtypeinthesixstudycountries 6

Table5Hotelbysizeinthesixstudycountries 6

Table6SampleofOTAsandPCWs 7

Table7Sampleofhotelchains 7

Table8:OverviewofMemberStateswithabanonOTAparityclauses 23

Table9Saleschannelsusedin2021byindependenthotels 31

Table10Saleschannelsusedin2021byallhotelsinthesample 32

Table11UseofOTAsin2021byindependenthotelspercountry 32

Table12Independenthotels-shareofsalesperchannel(Jan-May2021) 32

Table13Saleschannelsharesin2021bycountry(independenthotels) 33

Table14Saleschannelin2021sharesbyhotelsize(independenthotels) 33

Table15Useofchannelmanagementsoftwarebycountry(independenthotels) 34

Table16Shareofsalesthrougheachchannelin2021:comparisonofhotelchainsand

independenthotels 34

Table17EffectofusingOTAsontotalbookingsforindependenthotels 36

Table18EffectofusingOTAsondirectbookingsforindependenthotels 36

Table19MainOTAsusedin2021byindependenthotelsbycountry 37

Table20SharesofonlinesaleschannelsinD-Edgedataset(Spainonly)2017-2020 38

Table21Lowestaveragebasiccommissionratepercountryovertime 39

Table22Basiccommissionratein2021reportedbyindependenthotels 39

Table23Averagebasiccommissionratein2021percountryreportedbyindependent

hotels 40

Table24Averagebasiccommissionratein2021reportedbyindependenthotelsperOTA

40

Table25AverageeffectivecommissionratepercountryovertimereportedbytheOTAs

(hotelsonly) 40

Table26ExtraservicesobtainedinreturnforpayinghigherOTAcommission 41

Table27FrequencyofpayingadditionalOTAcommissionabovethebasicrate 41

Table28Effectivecommissionratein2021perOTAreportedbyindependenthotels 41

Table29Roompricedifferentiationbetweensaleschannelsin2021byindependenthotels

42

Table30Typesofroompricedifferentiationin2021byindependenthotels 43

Table31Levelofroompricedifferencesappliedbyindependenthotels 43

Table32Independenthotelsthatpricedifferentiatebetweensaleschannelsbycountry43

Table33Shareofhotelsthatprice-differentiatebyhotelsize(independenthotels) 44

Table34Reasonswhyhotelsdonotprice-differentiatebetweenOTAs(independenthotels)

44

Table35Roompricedifferentiationin2021byindividualhotelsbelongingtochains

(mysteryshopping) 45

Table36Frequencyofroomavailabilitydifferentiationin2021(independenthotels) 46

Table37Roomavailabilitydifferentiationin2021byindependenthotels 46

Table38AverageOTAcancellationratesin2019bycountry(basedonlocationofhotel)

47

Table39Mostcommonlyusedmetasearchwebsitesbyindependenthotels(2021) 47

Table40.Shareofindependenthotelsthatadvertiseonmetasearch/PCWs(2021) 47

Table41Useofmetasearchwebsitesandconnectivityproviders/channelmanagersby

independenthotels(2021) 48

MarketstudyonthedistributionofhotelaccommodationintheEU

Table42Remunerationmodelusedwithmetasearchproviders(independenthotels,2021)

48

Table43ShareofOTAbookings(accommodationslocatedintheEU)generatedby

metasearchwebsites 49

Table44AveragecostperbookingpaidbyEUaccommodationproviders,asreportedby

metasearchoperators 49

Table45Averageshareofrevenuederivedfromaccommodationprovidersasa%oftotal

metasearchhotel-relatedrevenue 49

Table46Searchengine/keywordadvertising(2021) 50

Table47Socialmediaadvertising(2021) 50

Table48Shareoftotalsalesmadethroughbedwholesalers/bedbanksbyhotelsize

(independenthotels,2021) 51

Table49.TypesofparityclausesusedbyOTAswithindependenthotels(2021) 54

Table50Useofparityclausesbycountry(asreportedbyindependenthotels,2021) 55

Table51Doesthehotelchainwebsiteofferaconsumerbestpriceguarantees? 60

Table52.Doesthehotel/chainwebsiteofferacustomerloyaltyscheme? 61

Table53:Sampleofhotelbookingplatforms 99

Table54:Sampleofmetasearchengines/pricecomparisonwebsites 101

ListofFigures

Figure1:Researchtoolbox 2

Figure2:Methodologicalapproach 3

Figure3:SharesofdistributionchannelsinEurope(2013-2019) 10

Figure4:2021HotelTechnologyMarketMap 14

Figure5:Hotelchains'averagesalesthrougheachchannel-trendovertime 35

Figure6Relativecostofsalesfordirectonlinechannels 52

Figure7.Hotelchains’revenuesthroughOTAsanddirectchannelsandrelativecostof

salesfordirectonlinechannels 52

Figure8.ShareofindependenthotelsreportingthattheirOTAcontractscontainedparity

clauses(2021) 54

Figure9.DoOTAstrytoincentiviseyourhoteltoofferthemfavourableroompricesor

penaliseyourhotelsincaseofunfavourableprices?(independenthotels,2021) 57

Figure10.TypesofincentivesanddisincentivesusedbyOTAstoobtainfavourableroom

prices(independenthotels,2021) 58

Figure11.Numberofclaimsandtotalreimbursementsmadeunderbestpriceguarantee

oftherespondentOTAs(2017–2020) 60

Figure12.Shareofhotelaccommodationsoldoffline,online,directandindirect 65

Figure13.Typesofroompricedifferentiationbyindependenthotels(2021) 67

Figure14.UseofOTAparityclausesbystudycountry,asreportedbyindependenthotels

(2021) 69

Figure15.Basicandeffectiveratespercountryin2021 69

Figure16:Shareofsalesperchannelforindependent/individualhotels:comparisonwith

ECNMonitoringExercise 71

Figure17.Pricedifferentiationbetweensaleschannelsreportedbyindependenthotels74

MarketstudyonthedistributionofhotelaccommodationintheEUConfidentialversion–containsbusinesssecrets

I

Abstract

ThisstudyprovidestheEuropeanCommission(Directorate-GeneralforCompetition)withup-to-datefactsonthesaleandmarketingofhotelaccommodationintheEU,includingonchangesthathaveoccurredintheperiod2017-2021andtheimpactofnationallawsprohibitingtheuseofparityclausesbyhotelbookingplatforms.Thestudycoversthesalesandmarketingpracticesofindependenthotels,hotelchains,OnlineTravelAgents(‘OTAs’)andmetasearch/pricecomparisonwebsites(‘PCWs’)insixEUMemberStates

1

.

Basedoninformationgatheredfromstakeholdersandareviewofrelevantliterature,thestudyaddressesfourresearchquestions.First,thestudypresentsthekeyfeaturesofhoteldistributionpractices,focusingonindicatorssuchastherelativesizeandcostsofsaleschannels;thecommercialrelationshipsbetweenOTAs,PCWsandhotels;offerdifferentiationbetweensaleschannels,andOTAcommissionrates.Second,thestudyprovidesananalysisofdifferencesindistributionpracticesbetweenthestudycountries,aswellaspossiblereasonsforthese.Third,thestudyanalyseschangesthathaveoccurredintheperiodsincetheEuropeanCompetitionNetworkcarriedoutamonitoringexerciseinthehotelsectorin2016.Fourth,thestudyexaminestheimpactoflawsadoptedbyAustriaandBelgiumprohibitingtheuseofOTAparityclauses.

Finally,inviewoftheexceptionalcontextinwhichthestudyhasbeenconducted,italsoaddressestheimpactoftheCovid-19pandemiconhoteldistributionarrangements.

1Austria,Belgium,Cyprus,Poland,SpainandSweden

MarketstudyonthedistributionofhotelaccommodationintheEU

II

Résumé

CetteétudefournitàlaCommissioneuropéenne(Directiongénéraledelaconcurrence)unbilanfactueldespratiquesdecommercialisationdeshébergementshôteliersdansl'UE,ycomprisleschangementsintervenusaucoursdelapériode2017-2021etl'impactdesloisnationalesinterdisantl'utilisationdeclausesdeparitéparlesplateformesderéservationhôtelière.L'étudeportesurlespratiquesdecommercialisationdeshôtelsindépendants,deschaîneshôtelières,desagencesdevoyagesenligne("OTA")etdesmétamoteursderecherche/comparateursdeprix("PCW")danssixÉtatsmembresdel'UE

2

.

Surlabasedesinformationsrecueilliesauprèsdesacteursdusecteuretd'unexamendelalittératurepertinente,l'étudeabordequatrequestionsderecherche.Premièrement,elleprésentelesprincipalescaractéristiquesdel’activitédecommercialisationdeschambresd’hôtel,ensefocalisantsurdesindicateurstelsquel’importanceetlescoûtsrelatifsdescanauxdevente,lesrelationscommercialesentrelesOTA,lesPCWetleshôtels,ladifférenciationdesoffresentrelescanauxdevente,etlestauxdecommissiondesOTA.Deuxièmement,l'étudefournituneanalysedesdifférencesdanslespratiquesdedistributionentrelespaysétudiés,ainsiquedesraisonspossiblesdecesdifférences.Troisièmement,l'étudeanalyseleschangementsintervenusdepuislaréalisationen2016d’unexercicedesurveillancedanscesecteurparleRéseaueuropéendelaconcurrence.Quatrièmement,l'étudeexaminel'impactdesloisadoptéesparl'AutricheetlaBelgiqueinterdisantl'utilisationdesclausesdeparitéparlesOTA.

Enfin,comptetenuducontexteexceptionneldanslequell'étudeaétéréalisée,elleabordeégalementl'impactdelapandémiedeCovid-19surlespratiquesdedistributiondanslesecteurdel’hôtellerie.

2Autriche,Belgique,Chypre,Pologne,EspagneetSuède

MarketstudyonthedistributionofhotelaccommodationintheEU

III

Abstrakt

DieseStudieliefertderEuropäischenKommission(GeneraldirektionWettbewerb)aktuelleFaktenüberdenVerkaufunddieVermarktungvonHotelunterkünfteninderEU.DazugehörenauchVeränderungenimZeitraum2017-2021unddieAuswirkungendernationalenGesetze,diedieVerwendungvonParitätsklauselndurchHotelbuchungsplattformenverbieten.DieStudiebefasstsichmitdenVerkaufs-undMarketingpraktikenvonunabhängigenHotels,Hotelketten,OnlineTravelAgents("OTAs")undMetasuch-/Preisvergleichs-Websites("PCWs")insechsEU-Mitgliedstaaten.

3

AufderGrundlagedervondenBeteiligtengesammeltenInformationenundeinerÜberprüfungdereinschlägigenLiteraturgehtdieStudieaufvierForschungsfragenein.ErstensstelltdieStudiediewichtigstenMerkmalederHotelvertriebspraktikenvor.DerSchwerpunktliegtdabeiaufIndikatorenwiederrelativenGrößeunddenKostenderVertriebskanäle,denGeschäftsbeziehungenzwischenOTAs,PCWsundHotels,derAngebotsdifferenzierungzwischendenVertriebskanälenunddenOTA-Provisionssätzen.ZweitensbietetdieStudieeineAnalysederUnterschiedeindenVertriebspraktikenzwischendenuntersuchtenLändernsowiedermöglichenGründedafür.DrittensanalysiertdieStudiedieVeränderungen,dieeingetretensind,seitdasEuropeanCompetitionNetwork2016einÜberwachungsverfahrenimHotelsektordurchgeführthat.ViertensuntersuchtdieStudiedieAuswirkungendervonÖsterreichundBelgienverabschiedetenGesetze,diedieVerwendungvonOTA-Paritätsklauselnverbieten.

SchließlichwerdenangesichtsdesaußergewöhnlichenKontextes,indemdieStudiedurchgeführtwurde,auchdieAuswirkungenderCovid-19-PandemieaufdieHotelvertriebsvereinbarungenbehandelt.

3Österreich,Belgien,Zypern,Polen,SpanienundSchweden

MarketstudyonthedistributionofhotelaccommodationintheEU

IV

Executivesummary

Objectiveofthestudy

ThisstudyprovidestheEuropeanCommission(Directorate-GeneralforCompetition)withup-to-datefactsonthedistributionofhotelaccommodationintheEU,includingonanychangesthathaveoccurredsincetheMonitoringExerciseconductedbytheEuropeanCompetitionNetworkinthissectorin2016,aswellasanychangesresultingfromnational

lawsprohibitingtheuseofparityclausesbyhotelbookingplatforms.

Thestudyfocusesonthefollowingresearchquestions:

1.HowishotelaccommodationdistributedintheEUMemberStatescoveredbythestudy?

2.DodistributionarrangementsdifferbetweentheseEUMemberStates?Ifso,whatarethereasonsforsuchdifferences?

3.HavehoteldistributionarrangementschangedrelativetothefindingsoftheMonitoringExercisecarriedoutin2016bytheEuropeanCompetitionNetwork(ECN)?Ifso,whatarethereasonsforsuchchanges?

4.HastheadoptionoflawsprohibitinghotelbookingplatformparityclausesledtochangesindistributionarrangementsintheMemberStatesconcerned?

ThestudycoverssixEUMemberStates,namelyAustria,Belgium,Cyprus,Poland,SpainandSwedenovertheperiodJanuary2017toMay2021inclusive.Itfocusesonthesalesandmarketingpracticesofthefollowingcategoriesofstakeholders:independenthotels,hotelchains,OnlineTravelAgents(‘OTAs’)andmetasearch/pricecomparisonwebsites.

Mainfeaturesofhoteldistribution

Hotelsselltheiraccommodationthroughonlineandofflinechannels,whichcanbefurtherdividedintodirectchannels(hotelwebsite,telephoneandwalk-in)andindirectchannels(OTAs,brickandmortartravelagents,bedwholesalers).Therearesignificantdifferencesbetweenindependenthotelsandhotelchainsasregardshowtheydistributetheiraccommodation.

4

UseofOTAsbyindependenthotels

Whiledirectbookings(onlineandoffline)stillaccountforthehighestshareofindependenthotels’sales(48%),OTAsaccountfor44%ofsales.Microandsmallhotels(measuredbythenumberofemployees)makeahighershareoftheirsalesthroughOTAsthanmedium-sizedhotels.

Themajorityofindependenthotels(72%)usemorethanoneOTA.ThefourmainOTAsusedbyindependenthotelsinthesixstudycountriesareB,Expedia,HRSandAirbnb.

Alargemajorityofindependenthotels(80%)considerthatusingOTAsincreasestheirtotalvolumeofbookings.Moreover,63%ofindependenthotelsconsiderthatusingOTAsalsoincreasesthevolumeofbookingsontheirdirectsaleschannels.

UseofOTAsbyhotelchains

Hotelchainsgenerallyusethesamerangeofsaleschannelsasindependenthotels,howevertheysellasmallershareoftheirroomsthroughOTAs(24%).

4Unlessspecifiedotherwise,alldatareferredtointhissummaryrelatesto2021.

MarketstudyonthedistributionofhotelaccommodationintheEU

V

[]

5

ofthehotelchainsthatparticipatedinthestudyconsiderthatusingOTAsincreasestheirtotalvolumeofbookings.Thesechainsexpressedmixedviewsabouttheeff