QCOSTARICA – The Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels (Cámara Costarricense de Hoteles – CCH) warns of hotel operators inflating room rates to disguise promotion on online travel agencies (OTAs).
Gustavo Araya, president of the Cámara, said the practice allows hotels with higher discounts to be better positioned on the online travel agencies, affecting many foreign visitors buying packages or purchasing hotel rooms online.
The Cámara says that hotel operators applying the practice will be most affected in the long-term when, sooner or later, the truth is known.
Araya warned that a continue policy could result in complaints filed with the Office of Consumer Protection (Oficina de Protección al Consumidor).
An online travel agency (OTA) specializes in offering planning sources and booking capabilities. Major OTAs include Expedia, Hotels.com, Travelocity and Orbitz among others.
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