04 Apr Travel Technology Industry Supports Congressional Action to Preserve Discoverability and Competition in Travel
Transparency & Robust Competition Essential for Travel Consumers and Economic Recovery
The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech), the voice of the travel technology industry, is joining with nearly 100 other companies and consumer organizations urging support for important consumer protection legislation. The American Innovation and Choice Online Act passed by both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees strengthens competition enforcers’ ability to address unfair market practices and self-preferencing by dominant search engines. If passed, consumers, including travel consumers, will benefit from more transparent searches to find the best travel options.
“Self-preferencing by dominant search engines uniquely affects discoverability which harms travelers and travel businesses by making it harder for consumers to discover and comparison shop,” said Steve Shur, President of Travel Tech. “Discoverability is at the heart of this issue. Consumers are denied full transparency and choice when search engines give preference to their owned and monetized offerings. Small and medium-sized travel businesses are harmed when their offerings are not found on page one or two of search results due to the way dominant search engines prioritize their own products and business deals. We are pleased to join so many other organizations urging Congress to stop dominant search engines from manipulating search results to their benefit and denying consumers choice and discoverability.”
On April 4, 2022, companies, nonprofits, and individuals are uniting to support the legislation and urging Congress to pass reforms this year.
“The bipartisan legislation moving through Congress finally gives our competition enforcers better tools to address self-preferencing by dominant search engines to the benefit of travelers who want the multitude of travel options available to them.” Shur continued. “Congress should not miss this opportunity to take much overdue action.”
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About Travel Tech
The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) is the voice of the travel technology industry, advocating for public policy that promotes transparency and competition in the marketplace to encourage innovation and preserve consumer choice. Travel Tech represents the leading innovators in travel technology, including global distribution systems, online travel agencies and metasearch companies, travel management companies, and short-term rental platforms.
To schedule an interview with a Travel Tech spokesperson, contact Jackie Hampton of kglobal at 443-814-0693 or jacqueline.hampton@kglobal.com.
