China Slaps Trip.com With $765 Million Penalty in Major Monopoly Crackdown

China has imposed penalties worth nearly 5.2 billion yuan (about USD 765 million) on Trip.com Group, the country's largest online travel platform, after accusing the company of abusing its dominant market position and engaging in anti-competitive practices that harmed hotels and consumers.

The action, announced on Saturday by China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), marks one of the biggest regulatory penalties imposed on a major technology company in the country's continuing efforts to tighten oversight of digital platforms.

According to the regulator, Trip.com, which operates Ctrip and Skyscanner, used its market dominance to restrict fair competition in China's online hotel booking industry. Authorities alleged that the company entered into exclusive partnerships with selected hotels, offered them preferential traffic and visibility on its platform, and prevented them from working freely with rival booking services.

Investigators also found that some hotels operating on multiple online platforms were allegedly required to ensure that Trip.com always displayed the lowest room prices, limiting the hotels' ability to determine their own pricing strategies across competing platforms.

Regulators said these practices had been in place since 2020, allowing the company to strengthen its position while restricting competition in the rapidly growing online travel market. Officials argued that the conduct not only limited business opportunities for hotel operators but also reduced consumer choice and distorted market competition.

Following an investigation launched in January, the regulator ordered the company to forfeit more than 1.6 billion yuan (USD 245 million) in what it described as illegal gains and imposed an additional fine exceeding 3.5 billion yuan (USD 520 million). The company has also been directed to refund around 122 million yuan (USD 18 million) that had been withheld from hotel partners.

In a statement, Trip.com said it accepted the regulator's decision and pledged to fully implement all corrective measures. The company said it would carry out every required rectification step to ensure full compliance with Chinese competition laws.