The Stop Online Booking Scams Act, which has been introduced by Rep. Lois Frankel, has been described as unnecessary and a scare tactic to encourage travelers to book direct with hotels.
The Travel Technology Association called it ‘a solution in search of a problem.’
"The reality is consumer confidence and trust in online travel innovators is higher than ever. This is a thinly veiled attempt by the hotel lobby to scare consumers into booking direct," Philip Minardi, spokesman for the Travel Technology Association said in a statement.
"It is clear that the American public not only continues to rely on online travel companies in order to shop across multiple travel brands in a single place, but that they aren’t buying the hotel lobby’s misguided and false claims. Congress should seek to promote consumer choice and innovation in travel technology, not stifle it with unwarranted and dangerous legislation," Minardi added.
The TTA says consumer confidence in online travel companies is at a high with 70% of customers believing online travel platforms are convenient and safe to shop online.
The bill proposes third party booking sites such as Expedia clearly disclose they have no affiliation with the hotels they sell and it would give more power to authorities to investigate and convict people behind scam booking sites.
The Travel Technology Association includes major online travel companies Expedia, Priceline, Sabre, Amadeus, Travelport, TripAdvisor and Airbnb.
