Distribution is in regulatory motion. Over the next 24-36 months, parity rules, OTA fee transparency, and the legal status of "Best Price Guarantee" programs will all change — and the hotels that pay attention now will have a structural advantage at renewal in 2027-2028. The hotels that do not will continue to sign whatever the KAM puts in front of them.
The EU Digital Markets Act
Effective from 2024 with phased enforcement, the DMA designates Booking.com as a "gatekeeper" and applies a series of obligations: no wide parity, transparent ranking algorithms, fair contract terms, and an obligation to share certain data with hotels. The practical effect: by 2027, Booking.com contracts in the EU will need to drop wide-parity language and explain visibility-program ranking in plainer terms. Hotels with multi-property contracts will have more leverage than they did before.
The Türkiye picture
Türkiye's Competition Authority has investigated OTAs multiple times — most recently a 2022-2023 case that resulted in fines for several major players. Wide parity is restricted in TR contracts as a result, though enforcement is uneven. Domestic OTAs (Cari, Tatilbudur, Etstur) operate under different commercial dynamics and are less affected by international parity rulings.
The US picture
The US has been the slowest-moving major market on OTA regulation. Wide parity is still common in US OTA contracts. Class-action lawsuits and FTC actions are slowly chipping away, but a US property today still signs contracts that look like 2019 EU contracts. If you operate in both EU and US, your contract negotiation strategy differs by jurisdiction.