Explore ’20: Expedia boss favours regulators having ‘a good hard look’ at frenemy Google’

Expedia boss Peter Kern has demanded a level playing field online saying the OTA is in favour of government regulators looking at the practices of its "frenemy" Google.

Speaking during the global travel giant's annual partner event, this year taking place online and headlined Explore '20, Kern was asked about the growing influence of Google in travel.

This time last year the scene was set for his accession to the top job at Expedia when former boss Mark Okerstrom set out the increasing impact Google was having on its finances.

A growing sense of the dominant global search engine biting the travel hand that feeds it was backed by other industry heavyweights, including Booking Holdings.

Kern was appointed chief executive in April after Okerstrom's unexpected departure in December which precipitated a major cost-cutting and restructuring at Expedia.

Kern said this week: "We are in favour of governments having and good and hard look at the practices of our frenemies at Google.

"All we want is a level playing field. We are happy to spend money with them as long as it's productive and as long as the playing field is fair and good for our business.

"We want a fair fight in the marketplace. We are happy to participate in that and if it's profitable for us we are happy to continue to spend money with them."