Booking.com has 66pc market share & Expedia 17pc of online hotel bookings

51.3pc of European hotel bookings are made directly.
Booking.com commands 66.1pc of OTA portal bookings.
Booking Holdings and Expedia Group control 85.4pc of the OTA segment.
Direct bookings declined by 6 percentage points since 2013.
51pc of hoteliers report OTAs undercutting their rates.

HOTREC European Hotel Distribution Study 2026 has shown that while 51.3pc of European travellers book hotel rooms directly more than 66pc of portal bookings go through Booking.com. In Germany the platform has accounted for 69.2pc of online intermediary bookings ahead of Expedia and HRS. The findings have added to ongoing debate about the platform’s market power in the hospitality sector.

According to the study, 51.3pc of European hotel bookings were made directly with properties, while Booking.com alone commanded 66.1pc of all Online Travel Agency (OTA) portal bookings. The landmark study pointed to a growing market concentration in the digital travel space.

Together, Booking Holdings (68.8pc) and Expedia Group (16.6pc) controlled 85.4pc of the entire European OTA segment. While direct bookings still held the majority share, they declined by 6 percentage points since 2013, whereas the structural reliance on OTAs grew from 19.7pc to 29.9pc over the same period. The report noted friction between hotels and platforms, with 51pc of hoteliers reporting that OTAs undercut their rates without prior agreement.