Booking CEO Touts Ties With Independent Hotels as Agentic AI and Airbnb Seek Gains
Photo Credit: Pictured: Glenn Fogel, president and CEO of Booking Holdings, at Skift Global Forum on September 17, 2024. Skift
Skift Take
We sometimes think of independent hotels as relatively powerless given the strength of the OTAs and the big hotel chains. Will agentic AI turn the tables?
Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel talked up the company's relationships with independent hotels as AI platforms and Airbnb threaten to cut in on this vital part of Booking's business.
Independent hotels provide "the vast majority" of Booking.com's room nights, Fogel told analysts during an earnings call Wednesday. The 10 largest global chain hotels account for "only a low double-digit percentage."
Fogel said Booking.com provides technical expertise to independent hotels, such as customer service and making available more than 100 payment types and over 50 currencies.
There are competitive threats to
