Travel Tech supports new efforts to prevent dominant platforms from driving consumer choice | News
A bipartisan group of senators is reintroducing the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA). The legislation is intended to promote fair competition in digital marketplaces by preventing dominant online gatekeepers from steering consumers to their own products and services. It only applies to a small number of the largest platforms with annual revenues of at least $175 billion and significant user reach in the US. Enforcement is conducted by the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general, in accordance with long-standing U.S. competition law.
The debate around AICOA reflects some of the same issues raised in Europe with the Digital Markets Act. One of the key provisions of the DMA, Article 6.5, limits how dominant platforms can favor their own services. Major platforms and various industry groups have strongly opposed that rule in Europe, and many of those same voices now argue that AICOA would create similar obligations in the United States. That comparison is already causing strong reactions in Washington and Brussels.
Against this background, the Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) expresses clear support for the bill. Laura Chadwick, president and CEO of the Travel Technology Association, said:
“The Travel Technology Association applauds the introduction of the American Innovation and Choice Online Act. Travelers deserve a marketplace where the best products and services succeed on their merits – not because a dominant platform has the ability to steer consumers toward its own offerings. As travel search increasingly shifts from traditional websites to AI-powered assistants and recommendation engines, maintaining fair and unbiased competition becomes even more important.
“Consumers should be able to discover the most relevant travel options, and innovative travel companies should have a fair opportunity to reach travelers, regardless of whether they are owned by a dominant platform. AICOA will help ensure that the next generation of travel innovation is driven by competition, consumer choice and better products – not by gatekeeper control over digital discovery. We look forward to working with Congress to advance policies that promote competition, consumer choice and innovation in the digital travel ecosystem.”
Several players from the travel technology industry have also expressed their support for the legislation:
Aaron Fessler, CEO and Founder of TripWorks, said:
“AI is transforming the way travelers discover and book experiences, and the stakes for smaller operators are increasing rapidly. When a dominant platform has the ability to elevate its own services above those of others, independent travel companies compete effectively in a marketplace where the rules are not the same for everyone. That is not sustainable for innovation or for travelers.
Independent operators provide much of the creativity and customer experience in travel. They deserve a fair chance to be discovered, especially as AI-powered search and planning tools become the new normal for many travelers. Efforts like AICOA help ensure that visibility is earned based on merit. Travelers benefit when the best options rise to the top, and the industry benefits when competition is open, transparent and fair.”
John Lyotier, CEO and Founder of TravelAI, said:
“AI is changing the way travelers discover options, and the largest platforms now control both the discovery and distribution layers. When search becomes an intelligent assistant that manages and decides, smaller travel brands can disappear from the journey long before a traveler ever reaches their site.”
“Google’s latest AI updates showed the direction of travel. Search is no longer a list of links; it now acts more like an agent. If brands aren’t integrated into these new AI ecosystems, they simply won’t be seen.
“AICOA recognizes what everyone in digital travel already knows: When you control what people see first, you control everything. Ensuring that all travel companies can be represented fairly, rather than buried under a platform’s own products, is essential for competition and for traveler trust. The future of AI-powered travel must be built on transparency and fair access.”
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The themes discussed here align with broader industry reflections on Google’s move to AI-generated search results. Commenting on these developments, Felix Shpilman, CEO of Emerging Travel Group, said:
“While Google’s shift to AI-generated search results has been going on for years with the aim of creating a faster and easier user experience, it is moving people further away from the original source of information. Users will no longer choose between multiple perspectives to the same extent – an AI model trained by someone else is increasingly making those decisions on their behalf.
The implications of this go far beyond technology or search distribution. There are potentially significant cultural, social, and even political consequences when access to information is mediated through AI-generated interpretation rather than direct source exploration.
Specific to the travel industry, this will place even more importance on data quality, structured content and trusted distribution infrastructure. Suppliers and travel brands will need to think carefully about how their products, pricing and content appear in AI-driven environments where visibility no longer relies solely on traditional search results.”
