Google has removed the vacation rentals unit on the Google Search results page for users in the European Economic Area (EEA) as part of ongoing changes to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The feature previously allowed eligible direct properties to appear on Google Travel.
Google announced the change via email, which was then shared on LinkedIn.
“As part of these changes, we are not currently able to display the current vacation rentals unit on Search in the EEA, hence, we’re removing this unit in the EEA. We hope to bring back a vacation rentals experience in the EEA in the future and will keep you informed of any changes,” Google wrote.
In a statement to PhocusWire, Nick Fox, Google's SVP of knowledge and information, said the changes negatively impact the search experience.
“These changes degrade the user experience for Europeans—boosting online intermediaries at the expense of local businesses, and removing helpful features people rely on every day,” Fox said, adding that users outside of the EU are unaffected.
In an updated blog post, Hospitable added that with the change, EEA-based vacation rental hosts “will no longer receive impressions, clicks or bookings through GVR on Google Search.”
“Vacation rental feeds can still power other Google surfaces such as Maps and google.com/hotels, and listings remain active for non-EEA traffic,” the post reads.
Patrick Andrae, co-founder and CEO of Berlin-based HomeToGo, called the move “a silver lining for fair competition” on LinkedIn. Commenters on the post also said Google’s change was “was overdue” and a “matter of time.”
For its part, Google told PhocusWire that the DMA changes hurt local businesses and direct suppliers by removing direct search tools.
The search giant's efforts to comply with the DMA date back years, with Google laying out 20 modifications to search in late 2024.
Earlier this summer, however, the European Commission fined Google €460 million for not complying with the DMA by preferencing its own services in search. In a separate decision, it was fined another €430 million for not letting app developers that distribute via Google Play to freely inform customers about other, potentially more affordable, options on other websites or app stores.
“We found that Google harms businesses offering similar services, such as shopping or sports, by not granting them the same level of prominence on Google Search,” said Henna Virkkunen, the commission's EVP for tech sovereignty, security and democracy.
Google was directed to make changes to treat third-party services in a “fair and non-discriminatory manner.”
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, was named a gatekeeper under the DMA in July 2023, and in March 2025, the commission said it was breaching the DMA following a non-compliance investigation into Google’s measures to prevent self-preferencing.