# Booking Holdings **Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/booking-holdings **Vertical:** Consumer Retail **Subcategory:** Enterprise **Tier:** Leader **Website:** bookingholdings.com **Last Updated:** 2026-04-14 ## Summary Norwalk CT online travel (NASDAQ: BKNG) at $23.74B 2024 revenue (+11%), $166B gross bookings; $20B buyback authorized Jan 2025, 10% dividend increase, Booking.com dominant in European accommodations competing with Expedia and Airbnb. ## Company Overview Booking Holdings Inc. is a Norwalk, Connecticut-based online travel platform — publicly traded on NASDAQ (NASDAQ: BKNG) as an S&P 500 Consumer Discretionary component — operating the world's largest portfolio of online travel brands including Booking.com (global accommodations leader), Priceline (US discount travel), Agoda (Asia-Pacific travel), KAYAK (metasearch), OpenTable (restaurant reservations), and Rentalcars.com across 220+ countries and territories through approximately 24,800 employees. In fiscal year 2024, Booking Holdings reported $23.74 billion in revenue (up 11% year-over-year), $5.88 billion in net income, and $166 billion in gross bookings — with Q4 2024 room nights growing 13% and gross bookings up 17% year-over-year. The company maintains a market capitalization exceeding $167 billion as of 2025. In January 2025, Booking Holdings authorized a $20 billion stock repurchase program and increased its quarterly dividend 10% to $9.60 per share, reflecting strong free cash flow generation. CEO Glenn Fogel has led the company since 2017, overseeing both pandemic recovery and the subsequent travel demand surge. Booking.com's accommodation inventory of millions of properties (hotels, vacation rentals, apartments, villas) across 220+ countries represents the broadest accommodation distribution platform in the global travel market. Booking Holdings' multi-brand OTA model addresses the travel discovery and booking fragmentation that travelers face when planning trips requiring air, hotel, car rental, and restaurant reservations from multiple providers: Booking.com's dominant position in European vacation rentals and international hotel inventory (the preferred platform for hotels in Europe, Asia, and Latin America who need global distribution without the US-centric bias of Expedia and Hotels.com), combined with KAYAK's metasearch for price comparison, Agoda's Asia-Pacific hotel network, and OpenTable's restaurant reservation access, creates a one-stop travel planning ecosystem where Booking Holdings captures commission revenue across multiple trip components. The merchant model (Booking Holdings acts as merchant of record, collecting payment from travelers and remitting net amounts to hotels) generates approximately 60% of revenue while enabling dynamic pricing and promotional control that the agency model (pass-through booking where hotels set their own rates) cannot provide. In 2025, Booking Holdings competes in the global online travel agency and travel platform market with Expedia Group (NASDAQ: EXPE, Hotels.com + Vrbo + Trivago, $13.7B revenue), Airbnb (NASDAQ: ABNB, vacation rental marketplace, $11.1B revenue), and TripAdvisor (NASDAQ: TRIP, travel media and booking, $1.8B revenue) for traveler booking intent across accommodation, flight, and experience categories. The $20B buyback authorization (January 2025) signals Booking Holdings' confidence in sustained free cash flow generation — and its preference for returning capital to shareholders rather than large acquisitions in a market where the primary competitors are well-capitalized. AI investment (personalization, demand forecasting, dynamic pricing optimization, and AI trip planning assistants) represents the primary product development focus in 2025 — as generative AI threatens to disintermediate OTAs by enabling direct flight and hotel booking through conversational AI interfaces that bypass search. The 2025 strategy focuses on defending Booking.com's European accommodation dominance, growing alternative accommodation (vacation rentals) to compete with Airbnb, and deploying AI across the customer journey to improve conversion rates and booking intent capture. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Booking Holdings? Booking Holdings is the world's leading provider of online travel and related services, operating six primary consumer-facing brands: Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda, KAYAK, OpenTable, and Rentalcars.com. The company serves consumers and local partners in more than 220 countries and territories, facilitating travel bookings, accommodation reservations, restaurant dining, and ground transportation services through its digital platforms. ### When was Booking Holdings founded? Booking Holdings was originally founded as Priceline in 1996 by Jay S. Walker in Stamford, Connecticut. The company launched Priceline.com in April 1998 and became publicly traded in 1999. It was renamed from The Priceline Group to Booking Holdings Inc. in February 2018 to reflect its evolved brand portfolio and global market position. ### Where is Booking Holdings headquartered? Booking Holdings is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. However, the company maintains significant operations globally, with major offices in Amsterdam (home to Booking.com headquarters), and other locations across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and North America to support its 220+ country operations. ### Who owns Booking Holdings? Booking Holdings is a publicly traded company listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker symbol BKNG. As of 2025, the company has a market capitalization exceeding $167 billion. Ownership is distributed among institutional investors, mutual funds, and individual shareholders. Robert J. Mylod Jr. serves as Chairman of the Board, with Glenn D. Fogel as President and CEO. ### What is Booking Holdings' revenue and financial performance? In fiscal year 2024, Booking Holdings generated $23.74 billion in total revenue, representing an 11% increase from 2023. The company reported gross bookings of $166 billion and net income of $5.88 billion. Revenue is diversified across merchant services (59.57%), agency commissions (35.91%), and advertising and other revenues (4.52%). The company maintains strong profitability and returns capital to shareholders through dividends and stock repurchases. ### How many employees does Booking Holdings have? As of 2025, Booking Holdings employs approximately 24,800 people globally, representing a 2.97% increase from 2023. The workforce is distributed across the company's various brands and geographic regions, supporting operations in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. ### What makes Booking Holdings different from competitors? Booking Holdings differentiates itself through its multi-brand portfolio strategy, global scale, and vertical integration across the travel value chain. Unlike single-brand competitors, the company operates distinct brands targeting different customer segments and markets. Its combination of Booking.com's massive accommodation inventory, KAYAK's meta-search capabilities, Agoda's Asia-Pacific strength, Priceline's discount positioning, OpenTable's dining reservations, and Rentalcars.com's ground transportation creates a comprehensive travel ecosystem that few competitors can match. ### Who are Booking Holdings' main competitors? Booking Holdings competes with Expedia Group (owner of Expedia, Hotels.com, Vrbo), Airbnb in accommodation bookings, TripAdvisor in meta-search and reviews, Google Travel in search and discovery, and various regional players like Trip.com in Asia. In restaurant reservations, OpenTable competes with Resy, Yelp Reservations, and direct restaurant booking systems. The competitive landscape varies significantly by geography and vertical. ### What is Booking Holdings doing about sustainability? Booking Holdings released its 2024 Sustainability Report detailing progress on environmental and social initiatives. While the company reported reduced greenhouse gas emissions in 2024, it announced the removal of its target to have 50%+ of bookings from sustainable accommodation offerings by 2027. The company continues to invest in sustainable travel programs, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and community support through its Booking Cares program. ### Is Booking Holdings hiring? Yes, Booking Holdings regularly hires across its global operations and brand portfolio. The company offers positions in technology, product development, marketing, customer service, operations, and corporate functions. Interested candidates can visit the company's careers website or individual brand career pages to explore current opportunities across its 24,800-person workforce. ### What is Booking Holdings' dividend policy? Booking Holdings maintains a growing dividend program. In early 2025, the company increased its quarterly dividend by 10% from $8.75 to $9.60 per share, resulting in an annual dividend of $38.40 per share. The dividend is paid quarterly, with the most recent payment scheduled for September 30, 2025. The company combines dividend payments with an aggressive stock repurchase program, having authorized $20 billion in buybacks in January 2025. ### What are Booking Holdings' future growth plans? For 2025, Booking Holdings targets at least 8% growth in constant-currency gross bookings and revenue. The company is investing heavily in artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance personalization, operational efficiency, and customer experiences. Recent strategic moves include the TravelTriangle merger to expand in India, a transformation program expected to generate $400-$450 million in annual cost savings, and continued international expansion. The company maintains its multi-brand strategy while seeking operational synergies across its portfolio. ## Tags b2c, retailtech, public --- *Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*