Published Sat, Jul 25, 2026 · 02:35 PM
[BEIJING] Chinese regulators fined Trip.com Group 5.18 billion yuan (US$765 million), concluding that the country’s largest travel booking platform abused its market dominance after a months-long investigation.
The probe found that Trip.com employed monopolistic practices centred on traffic allocation mechanisms, utilising its platform rules and technology, according to a statement from the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) on Saturday (Jul 25).
The company restricted hotel operators’ cross-platform operations and infringed on their right to set their own prices, harming consumer interests, it said.
The penalty highlights regulators’ growing concern that fierce competition among online travel platforms is squeezing hotel operators’ margins and contributing to a deflationary environment in China. Local authorities summoned Trip.com’s rivals including ByteDance’s Douyin and Meituan on antitrust concerns last year.
Trip.com controls about 56 per cent of China’s online travel market, according to research firm China Trading Desk, and it’s now the world’s largest booking site.
As hotel operators rely heavily on Trip.com for visibility and traffic, the platform has been using that leverage to try and prevent them from listing on competing services like Alibaba’s Fliggy, Douyin or Meituan.
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SAMR launched the probe against Trip.com in January.
The market watchdog is known for reining in China’s technology sector, starting with a probe into alleged abuses at Alibaba that resulted in a record fine. It was one of several agencies that from 2020 wiped out hundreds of billions of dollars in market value from an industry that Beijing felt had amassed too much data and clout.
Founded in 1999, Trip.com offers flights, hotels, car rentals and excursions through its brands such as Ctrip and Skyscanner. BLOOMBERG
