China fines Trip.com 5.179 billion yuan for hotel booking market abuse

Trip.com said it has received the administrative penalty decision, accepted the outcome and will implement rectification measures, with management set to discuss the matter on a July 27 conference call.

Summary

China's State Administration for Market Regulation imposed penalties totaling 5.179 billion yuan on Trip.com Group for abusing its dominant position in China's online hotel booking platform market. Regulators found that since 2020, Trip.com used traffic allocation mechanisms, platform rules and technical tools to induce certain hotels into exclusive cooperation and restrict them from working with competing platforms. Trip.com said on July 25 it had received the administrative penalty decision, sincerely accepted the outcome and would adopt rectification measures in line with applicable laws and regulations, while strengthening long-term governance mechanisms. The company said its management team will host a conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time, or 8:00 PM Hong Kong Time, on July 27, 2026.

Terms & Concepts
  • administrative penalty decision: A formal regulatory ruling that sets out penalties and compliance requirements after an enforcement action.