2024-05-10 10:44:32
The president of the Panhellenic Federation of Hoteliers (POX) expresses his protest against the new directive of Booking.com which obliges partner hotels to exclusively use the platform’s virtual card in order to secure reservations, as a result of which they are burdened with high card commission rates ), Mr. Yiannis Hatzis, with his letter to Booking.com’s Greece and Cyprus Area Manager, Mr. Tasso Efthymiou.
In the letter, which is also communicated to the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Olga Kefalogianni, the president of POX points out that this directive results in an unfair burden on hotels, in addition to the already high booking fees they pay to the platform and is a violation of the Greek legislation guaranteeing reservations through advances.
POX calls on Booking.com to reconsider its directive, otherwise it warns that it will follow “the path of evaluating the legality of this decision through the appropriate channels, thus protecting the rights and interests of our members.”
Read the full letter…
“Booking.com has recently informed contracted hotels that they will have to use their virtual card exclusively to secure bookings, excluding the option of requiring advance payments.
This unilateral directive places an unfair burden on hoteliers, requiring them to accept high virtual card commission rates to cover no-show risk, on top of the already high booking fees paid to Booking.com.
This directive unfairly infringes on the legal right of hotels, under Greek law, to secure advance bookings to protect against potential losses arising from last-minute cancellations and no-shows.
The implications of this decision are significant, as they not only limit the autonomy of hoteliers but also undermine their financial viability and operational flexibility.
Given the gravity of the situation, we call on Booking.com to reconsider its stance. Collaborative dialogue and fair solutions are essential to maintain the symbiotic relationship between Booking.com and its partner hotels. A failure to do so may force us to follow the path of evaluating the legality of this decision through appropriate channels, thus protecting the rights and interests of our members.”
Source tornosnews.gr