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High-level conference on Collaborative Short-Term
Accomodation Rental Services with the participation of
HOTREC, EU high-level conference, 11 October 2018
Mr. Christian de Barrin, CEO of HOTREC, European
Parliament Public Hearing, 19 June 2018
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2018
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2019 HOTREC ANNUAL REPORT
HOTREC participates to the European Parliament’s
Public Hearing on platform-to-business relations
On 19 June 2018, HOTREC was invited by the European Parliament’s
Internal Market and Consumers Committee (IMCO Committee) to
present its views on the Commission’s proposal for a Regulation on
platform-to-business relations.
The CEO of HOTREC, Mr. Christian de Barrin, highlighted to the
Members of the European Parliament the strong imbalance in market
power between the leading online booking platforms and the around
200.000 hotel establishments, most of which being micro enterprises.
He also drew MEPs’ attention to the pressing need for such a
Regulation, aiming at bringing more fairness and transparency to the
online intermediated markets, especially regarding online rankings,
better control and transparency on distribution channels and use
of businesses’ brands. He also encouraged the MEPs to adopt this
Regulation before the end of this European Parliament’s term, as the
conditions for European businesses on the online market need to be
improved urgently.
HOTREC promotes a level-playing field in a high-level
European conference on the collaborative economy
On 11 October 2018, the European Commission organised a high-
level conference entitled ‘Collaborative economy: opportunities,
challenges, policies’. The aim of the conference was to take stock of
policy, regulatory and market developments since the adoption of the
Communication on the collaborative economy in June 2016. Around
250 participants discussed the challenges and the achievements in
this field.
HOTREC was invited by the European Commission to participate
in the panel on Collaborative Short-Term Accommodation Rental
Services. On this occasion, the CEO of HOTREC, Mr. Christian de
Barrin, highlighted the increasing professionalisation in the short term
accommodation market and proposed solutions to allow for more
balanced markets.
The panellists agreed that an online registration system of hosts
represents a good tool to allow public authorities to better apprehend
the market and that platforms shall assist public authorities to
perform their tasks, without replacing them. Common understanding
was also reached on the need to better distinguish professional from
occasional service providers, as advocated by HOTREC.
The event was also marking the end of a series of workshops
organised by the European Commission on short term rentals initiated
in 2017, which resulted in the publication of best practices providing
some guidance to policy makers when taking actions in this market.