Latest news with #hotelcommissions
Travel Weekly
3 days ago
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Advocacy efforts by ASTA, ACTA take the stage at AMG's confab
ORLANDO -- "How many of you have had trouble collecting hotel commissions?" ASTA president and CEO Zane Kerby asked a room full of advisors at American Marketing Group's Travel Market 2025 here -- and throughout the room, advisors vocalized their agreement. "It's a big problem," Kerby said, "and it's something ASTA has taken very, very seriously." ASTA two years ago published a list of suppliers who pay commissions within 30 days of an advisor remitting payment. While he didn't provide further details, Kerby said ASTA is gearing up to take on the suppliers who aren't on that list. "We're going to really start calling out those people who do not pay commissions on time, because that's a problem for the industry," he said to applause. "It's a problem for you; it's a problem for us." Kerby was part of an on-stage discussion about advocacy alongside Wendy Paradis, president of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA). Kerby highlighted some of ASTA's other advocacy efforts of late, including its battle to repeal the rule requiring the merchant of record, in some cases agents, to refund airline passengers even if they don't possess the funds; a recently won tax battle in Nebraska; and a fight against a new 11% tax on bookings for cruises in Hawaiian waters. For Canadian agencies, a focus on tariffs In Canada, the No. 1 issue for travel agencies is the potential impact of tariffs implemented by the U.S., Paradis said. Right now, agencies are mostly in wait-and-see mode, but the implications of tariffs could be great. ACTA has done forecasting regarding tariffs and what would happen if they stayed in place, as is, for any length of time. For people to travel, they need to have jobs and disposable income, and if the tariffs sap jobs and income of Canadian advisors' clients, advisor business would be affected. "Should they stay in place, the impact on Ontario and Quebec, which are the largest travel industry provinces in Canada, is much worse than the pandemic," she said. But the effects would take "months and months to unfold," Paradis said. In the meantime, ACTA continues to advocate on behalf of Canada and the travel industry. Travel advisors working with an older clientele will likely fare better, she said: Baby Boomers are the largest group of travelers in Canada right now, and for the most part they are empty-nesters with paid-off mortgages. Millennials and Gen X travelers, by contrast, are likely less resilient.
Free Malaysia Today
21-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Swiss watchdog orders Booking.com to lower hotel commissions
said its commission rates won't change until a court ruling was made. (AFP pic) ZURICH : Switzerland's price watchdog on Wednesday ordered travel platform to lower its 'abusively high' hotel commissions by almost one quarter. The price regulator said in a statement that it had contacted the US-owned platform to seek an amicable solution, but that the effort had been unsuccessful 'despite intense negotiations'. The watchdog said that after an analysis, it had concluded that 'the commission rates applied by the company to Swiss hotels were abusively high'. It ordered to lower its commission rates by almost one quarter on average within three months. The measure aims to 'enhance the competitiveness of Swiss hotels in an environment of intense international competition, while indirectly reducing the financial burden borne by customers of the platform', the watchdog said. headquartered in Amsterdam and a Dutch subsidiary of US travel group Booking Holdings, said it would appeal to Switzerland's federal administrative court. It stated that its commission rates would not change until a ruling was made. 'Our accommodation partners have a multitude of ways to market their properties to customers, so it's a choice if they want to list on our platform or somewhere else,' it said. 'We do not agree with forcibly reducing the cost of a product that is entirely optional' the company added. HotellerieSuisse, the employer's group for the sector in Switzerland, welcomed the regulator's ruling, calling it 'a strong signal' not only for hotels in the country but also for Europe more broadly. It said it would now study 'how, and to what extent' commissions paid could be compensated.
