Ed. 03 · Aug 29, 2026 · next in 12 Sep 2026 · reading 8 min

The distribution is redrawn by two sides at the same time

Regulators in Europe are beginning to punish Big Tech for favoring its own travel services, as the industry debates whether it is building — or losing — the data infrastructure race for the age of AI agents. In the end, Brazil remains one of the fastest growing markets in the world for corporate travel.

European Union fines Google €890 million for favoring its own hotels and flights in search.

Skift: ten years of direct sales campaigns and the share of OTAs has barely budged.

PhocusWire: Why OpenAI's integration with Plaid is a boon for hospitality.

01 — Aperture — enlarged sweep

The distribution is redrawn by two sides at the same time

In this edition, we expanded the curation to international reference vehicles — Skift and PhocusWire/Phocuswright — in addition to the national press. The picture that emerges: regulation putting pressure on platforms' self-preference and a race for data infrastructure that will decide who controls the reserve in the era of AI agents.

02 — Direct selling × indirect selling

Regulation comes into play

International

European Union fines Google €890 million for the first time under the DMA

The European Commission applied €460 million for Google's self-preference to its own Shopping, Hotels, Flights and Transport services in search results — to the detriment of competitors such as OTAs and metasearch engines — and another €430 million for restrictions on Google Play. Google has until September 21st to comply, under the risk of daily fines of up to 5% of global revenue.

European Commission / CNN Business · Jul 2026

Skift

A decade of “Stop Clicking Around” and OTA share has barely budged

The Skift Travel Podcast retrospective shows that, ten years after campaigns like Hilton's to reduce dependence on OTAs, the market share of third-party platforms remained practically stable. The real strategic weapon that emerged was not advertising against OTAs — it was the loyalty program, today treated as a commercial engine, not just a benefit.

Skift Travel Podcast · June 2026

Brazil

Case: hotel with 95% direct sales becomes a reference at ABIH-SP event

Casa Grande Hotel Resort & Spa (Guarujá) presents, at the 6th ABIH-SP Business Meeting, its commercial strategy: around 95% of reservations come directly from the consumer, more than 800 thousand followers on social networks and 95% occupancy. The meeting brings together direct sales, loyalty and AI applied to the hotel industry.

Brasilturis · Aug. 2026

03 — X-ray of the fortnight

The price of self-preference — and the size of Brazil on the map

From the fine in Brussels to corporate performance in Brazil: the numbers that structure this fortnight's conversation.

€460 million

Fine to Google for self-preference in search (Shopping/Hotels/Flights)

€430 million

Additional fine for restrictions on Google Play (anti-steering)

13,8%

Brazil's projected growth in corporate travel (GBTA 2026)

60 days

Google deadline to adapt to the DMA (until September 21)

2.3x

Actual RevPAR of FOHB networks above budget in 2026

~2.000%

Growth in air fare combinations since the pandemic (Travelport)

04 — Technology & digital media

The race for data infrastructure

PhocusWire

“The Plaid moment that the hotel industry cannot miss”

In an opinion article, the founder of the AI Hospitality Alliance argues that the integration of OpenAI with Plaid is a sign: just as the financial sector needed shared infrastructure for AI to operate securely, the hospitality industry has a short window to build its own distribution “rails” — before another company builds them for it.

PhocusWire (opinion) · June 2026

PhocusWire

Hotel distribution aims for “bookable anywhere”

Shiji's Hotel Distribution Technology Chart 2026 charts how AI discovery, maps and social messaging already influence a traveler's decision before they even visit an OTA or brand website — and reflects strong consolidation in the hotel technology sector, with recent acquisitions such as CWT (by Amex GBT) and Oaky (by Plusgrade).

PhocusWire · June 2026

Event

At GBTA, Travelport's CTO calls for fewer layers, more simplicity

At GBTA Convention 2026 (Chicago), Travelport's CTO argued that AI should exist to reduce distribution complexity — not to pile yet another layer of automation on top of an already confusing process, citing the ~2,000% growth in airline fare combinations since the pandemic. At the same event, Brazil was identified as the fastest growing market in corporate travel among the 15 largest in the world.

Hosting (GBTA coverage) · Aug. 2026

05 — Fortnight Radar

Brazil · Europe · United States

Panorama of the Brazilian Hotel Industry is updated by HotelInvest/FOHB

New version of the study shows real RevPAR 2.3 times above the budget of associated networks — reinforcing that demand continued to surprise the market throughout 2026.

HotelInvest / FOHB · Aug. 2026

The hotel sector invests up to R$2.8 billion/year in furniture alone

Data from the Hotelier Portal (ABIH-SP) illustrates the other side of the expansion cycle of R$ 13.6 billion and 178 new ventures: investment in physical experience goes hand in hand with investment in the digital channel.

Hotelier Portal (ABIH-SP) · Aug. 2026

EU/US

Google tests changes to search design to adapt to DMA

The company is already testing changes to the Google Play results layout and steering terms — the European Commission considers this “substantial progress”, but insufficient to avoid the retroactive fine.

European Commission · Aug. 2026

06 — To take to the table

3 questions from this fortnight

01If not even a decade of direct sales campaigns has moved the share of OTAs, is your resort's loyalty program already treated as a commercial engine — or even as an ancillary benefit?
02Is your data (rates, availability, attractions) ready for the “bookable anywhere” world — maps, messaging, AI agents — or just for the institutional website?
03Is your resort's technology ruler reducing the complexity of the purchasing journey, or just piling one more tool on top of the previous ones?

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