Trip.com, China's largest online travel platform, used traffic-allocation mechanisms, platform rules and technical measures to strike exclusive deals with some hotels as it sought to offer the lowest prices, the regulator said.
The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said on July 25 it had confiscated 1.66 billion yuan in illegal gains and imposed a fine of 3.52 billion yuan.
Trip.com, owner of travel-booking brands Ctrip, Skyscanner and Qunar, said: "We sincerely accept and will fully comply with it, and will strictly follow the regulator's requirements to systematically implement each rectification measure, ensuring that all measures are carried out effectively."
Parents push a stroller with a baby in a park in Shanghai, China, April 2, 2023. Photo by Reuters
SAMR also ordered Trip.com to refund booking deposits of 122 million yuan that it said the company had withheld from hotel operators.
