China’s market regulator said it has imposed a total penalty of 5.2 billion yuan, about US$770 million, on Trip.com Group for abusing a dominant position in the country’s online hotel-booking market. The action includes both a fine and confiscation, according to the regulator’s statement.
Authorities said Trip.com used traffic allocation, platform rules and technological tools to strengthen exclusive arrangements with some hotels. Regulators also said the company pushed for the lowest prices, a practice they linked to its control over the market.
The case centers on how Trip.com operated in domestic online hotel bookings, where officials said its conduct limited competition. By securing exclusivity and shaping visibility on the platform, the company was found to have used its market strength in ways that violated antitrust rules.
The penalty marks another major enforcement move in China’s broader scrutiny of platform companies and competitive practices. For Trip.com, the decision puts fresh attention on how large travel-booking platforms manage hotel relationships, pricing and user traffic.
