Online Travel Booking: If you also do online hotel or travel booking, then this news is very important for you. Recently, the Chinese government has taken strict action against the company Trip.com Group for allegedly violating rules in the country’s leading online travel sector. The government has imposed a fine of 5.2 billion yuan (about 765 million dollars) i.e. about 7,300 crores (73 billion rupees) on the company.

China market regulator SAMR alleged that the company took advantage of its strong market share and entered into agreements with some hotels that made it difficult for them to work with other travel platforms. It was also told that the company had imposed many business conditions affecting competition, after which the government took this strict action against the company.

What are the allegations against the company?

• Making exclusive agreements with some hotels.
• Preventing hotels from listing on competing online travel platforms.
• To put pressure on hotels to keep the lowest prices on their platform.
• Allegedly abusing his outside position in 2020.

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How much was the fine?

• Total fine: 5.2 billion yuan (765 million US dollars) i.e. about Rs 7,300 crore (73 billion)
• Illegal earnings seized: 1.6 billion yuan (245 million US dollars) i.e. about Rs 2,330 crore
• Separate fine imposed: 3.5 billion yuan (520 million US dollars) i.e. about 4,970 crores
• Order to return hotels: 122 million yuan (18 million US dollars) about 172 crores

What did the company say?

Trip.com Group has accepted the decision of the Chinese regulator and said that it will fully comply with the fine. Along with this, he said that more corrective steps will be implemented in this than before and the same rules will definitely be followed in future.

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