The period 2015-17 was characterised in the EU by important antitrust decisions regarding the use of price parity clauses by online travel agencies (OTAs). National competition authorities across the EU reached different resolutions, thus providing an opportunity for comparative analysis. We gather recent empirical studies on the removal of parity clauses and provide evidence on the dynamics of hotel prices posted on Booking.com in France, Italy, and Spain. We argue that antitrust enforcement against price parities increased competition in the OTA sector, rendered the contractual relations with hotels more transparent, and incentivised OTAs to improve their services.
Andrea Mantovani, C.P. (2018). On the economic effects of price parity clauses – what do we know three years later?. JOURNAL OF EUROPEAN COMPETITION LAW & PRACTICE, 9(10), 650-654 [10.1093/jeclap/lpy028].
On the economic effects of price parity clauses – what do we know three years later?
Andrea Mantovani
;Carlo Reggiani
2018
Abstract
The period 2015-17 was characterised in the EU by important antitrust decisions regarding the use of price parity clauses by online travel agencies (OTAs). National competition authorities across the EU reached different resolutions, thus providing an opportunity for comparative analysis. We gather recent empirical studies on the removal of parity clauses and provide evidence on the dynamics of hotel prices posted on Booking.com in France, Italy, and Spain. We argue that antitrust enforcement against price parities increased competition in the OTA sector, rendered the contractual relations with hotels more transparent, and incentivised OTAs to improve their services.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
