New European regulations providing increased transparency and fairer online terms and conditions have come into effect this week and have been welcomed by UKHospitality.
New platform to business regulations have come into force providing transparency between businesses and online platforms. These include:
- A more thorough understanding of ranking and search results, allowing for fairer business decisions and reducing platforms’ capacity to make modifications at their own discretion
- Effective internal complaint mechanisms, ensuring that businesses’ concerns and complaints have to be treated accurately and in a timely fashion
- Terms and conditions applied by online platforms towards businesses shall be clearer
- Any potential sanctions imposed by online platforms against businesses will need to be transparent and well-founded.
UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “Digital platforms are now an essential part of the tourism and hospitality offer. It is no longer the case that businesses, even SMEs, can expect to succeed without having a presence in the digital economy.
“It is vital, therefore, that the digital landscape is as easy to navigate for businesses as it is customers. The new regulations should provide increased transparency and a level playing field for all to utilise the online options available to them.”
Regulations: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32019R1150
