From legislative changes to evolving marketing strategies, we’ve handpicked the most impactful news stories hoteliers need to know about from the past couple weeks. To keep yourself ahead of the curve, be sure to subscribe to the Triptease Direct Booking Digest.
Google comes under regulatory fire (once again)
On January 14th, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that they would be launching an investigation into Google’s search and search advertising services, with the goal of determining whether Google’s dominance in the UK market makes them anti-competitive. The investigation, which has an expected deadline of October 2025, echoes recent actions taken by the EU via the Digital Markets Act, which had a significant impact on hotels’ visibility on Google. It’s likely that any action taken by the CMA, dependent on the outcome of this investigation, could have a similar impact.
How the TikTok ban could change the future of hotel marketing
TikTok was briefly banned in the US on Saturday January 21st, a move that was overturned quickly the following day – but could still become permanent in the coming months. TikTok has been a valuable channel for many hotels, allowing them to engage directly with guests and to source authentic, relatable content.
While TikTok isn’t gone just yet, it’s important for hoteliers to reduce dependency on this one channel and to invest in other potential growth areas, including Instagram and YouTube Shorts.
Read more about the TikTok ban and its potential impact
Hotels are making more money by boosting non-room profits
We all know that hotels aren’t just a place to sleep – and now, many hoteliers are looking outside of traditional room bookings in developing their revenue strategies. Investing in initiatives like mobile ordering and local partnerships that make food and beverage offerings more profitable is now common practice. Have an events space or a coffee shop? Maximize the impact of these on your business by drawing in more customers and making ordering a breeze. If you’re looking for other ways to boost non-room profits, consider changing up your marketing strategy – for example, consider bidding on non-room terms in your Google paid search ads (Triptease can help!)
Unlock more profitability for your business
Spain is considering a 100% tax on non-EU property buyers
In a move aimed at tackling their worsening housing crisis, Spain announced that they’re considering a 100% tax on non-EU, non-resident buyers purchasing property. This could be a real hit to short-term rentals in the country, and may pose a valuable opportunity longer-term for hotels hoping to win back customers.
Learn about Spain’s proposed tax changes
Learn the top generative AI predictions for 2025
Generative AI (Gen AI) is here, and its only getting more prevalent every day. In 2025, we're likely to see a lot of shifts in the way we use AI, including:
- Super-accessible AI, with the latest tech moving from the cloud to your phone, your car, and even wearables.
- AI as a creative partner, helping to unlock more than just efficiency in your business.
- A growth in agentic AI, which will be able to execute complex workflows across multiple mediums
- An increased focus on regulation and the ethics behind AI.
Discover the ways generative AI could change in 2025.
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Genevieve is a product marketing manager at Triptease.
