China Opens Probes into Four Online Travel Booking Platforms
Chinese regulators, via a statement from the Beijing Municipal Administration for Market Regulation, announced investigations into four online hotel and travel booking platforms: Hangzhou Taomei Aviation Service, Tongcheng Network Technology, Tujia Online Information Technology (Tianjin) and Beijing Sankuai Information Technology. The investigations are part of a broader regulatory review of China’s online travel sector that followed a meeting convened by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism with hotel and travel booking platforms.
The authorities are examining business practices that may affect fair competition and the rights of merchants using the platforms. Specific areas of focus include search‑ranking algorithms, traffic allocation mechanisms, commission rates charged to merchants, and the design of promotional programmes. No penalties or findings have been announced against the four platforms at this stage.
The China Hospitality Association has publicly backed the investigations, urging the booking platforms to provide greater transparency around their trading rules and algorithms. The association highlighted the need for clearer information on search rankings, traffic allocation, commission structures and promotional programmes, and called for stronger industry self‑discipline and closer cooperation between online platforms and hospitality businesses.
This regulatory action follows a July antitrust penalty of 5.18 billion yuan (approximately US$765 million) imposed on Trip.com Group for abusing its dominant position in China’s online hotel booking market. The new probes signal continued scrutiny of how major online travel platforms interact with hotels and other merchants, particularly regarding commissions, platform traffic and promotional practices.