Google Ditches Vacation Rentals Box from European Search Results

Google has removed its vacation rentals box from European search results in compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) fine. The removal is a result of Google's €890 million fine for self-preferencing, which gave its own services a better spot in Search than rivals.

The DMA fined Google 60 days to comply, and it removed the vacation rentals box from European search results on September 8, two weeks before the deadline. The removal affects users in the 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

Google's new format for European searchers features an 'aggregator unit' for approved comparison services and a 'supplier unit' for businesses themselves, but vacation rentals only appear in structured-data carousels. The removal has been seen as a blow to local businesses, with Google claiming it will degrade the user experience for Europeans.

HomeToGo's CEO Patrick Andrae celebrated the removal, saying it was a victory for fair competition after six years of trying to get the box off the page in Europe. However, not everyone is pleased, with some hosts questioning what they had gained from the removal.