Google Ditches Vacation Rentals Unit Amid EU Compliance Struggles

Google has removed its vacation rentals unit from search results for users in the European Economic Area (EEA) as part of ongoing changes to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The feature allowed eligible direct properties to appear on Google Travel, but is no longer available due to DMA requirements.

According to Nick Fox, Google's SVP of knowledge and information, the changes negatively impact the search experience for Europeans, boosting online intermediaries at the expense of local businesses.

EEA-based vacation rental hosts will no longer receive impressions, clicks or bookings through GVR on Google Search. However, listings remain active for non-EEA traffic.

The change is part of Google's efforts to comply with the DMA, which has been ongoing since last year. The European Commission fined Google €460 million in July for not complying with the DMA by preferencing its own services in search.