CHTA lashes out
at Booking.com
new commission
policy
predicament,” Comito stated.
An “overwhelming majority” particularly how it cuts into of Caribbean hotels are employee tips and gratuities. reconsidering using Booking. CHTA pointed to a recent He also cautioned that the
com as a result of the new survey of its 33 national hotel commissions would be a short-
commission policy, according to and tourism federations term profit for Booking.com
the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism which revealed a belief that which could eventually be a
Association (CHTA). the commission policy was significant long-term loss for
“regressive and punitive”. the company as 84% of hotels
surveyed are reconsidering using
The organisation claims the new
policy is aimed at generating CHTA chief executive, Frank Booking.com as a result of the
additional revenue for the Comito, added that the new policy.
online giant at the expense of commissions would directly consumers. affect travellers because some of Citing trade media reports
the higher costs associated with that certain areas of the world
Commissions levied on staff additional payments to Booking. or major brands might be
tips by the online travel agency com will need to be shared by exempted from the Booking.
Booking.com have been assailed the traveling public as some com commission policy, CHTA
by the CHTA as “grossly unfair” hotels seek to recoup losses by reminded “small-medium sized
and the trade association raising prices. hotels, many in our region
which are luxury properties, are
has called for the immediate
“In a region where consumer already disadvantaged because
price sensitivity and high of the marketing and buying
In a letter to Booking.com, operating costs are an ongoing power of hotel brands and major
CHTA cited “a strong negative challenge, this presents destinations.”
discontinuance of the policy.
the industry with an added
backlash” from members,
www.slyoumag.com | September-October 2019
SL-YOU | It’s All About Business 51