The State Administration for Market Regulation and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism held an administrative guidance meeting on September 15. The session focused on the online hotel booking sector, involving major platforms such as Meituan, Douyin, JD.com, Trip.com, Tongcheng, and Fliggy.
Regulators emphasized that platforms must strictly fulfill their compliance responsibilities. The meeting highlighted the need to mitigate industry competition risks and maintain a healthy, orderly environment for the tourism market, noting that fair competition is a cornerstone of the economy.
Authorities specifically instructed companies to address issues related to exclusive cooperation agreements and the practice of guaranteeing the lowest price across the entire internet. These measures are intended to prevent excessive internal competition and ensure market stability.
Platforms are required to adhere to national laws, including the Anti-Monopoly Law, the Anti-Unfair Competition Law, the E-commerce Law, and the Tourism Law. Companies must conduct self-inspections and establish long-term compliance mechanisms to protect consumer rights.
