A trio of major online travel names are under the spotlight and being probed by Japan’s competition regulator over possible antitrust violations.
The Japan Fair Trade Commission is reportedly investigating Expedia, Booking.com, and homegrown travel giant Rakuten Travel.
The investigation centres on the companys’ pressuring hotels to allocate more rooms through their platforms and forcing them to set the same or a lower price compared to competitors.
OTA price parity clauses have been a major issue for anti-trust regulators around the world, especially in Europe.
A violation of this kind would likely lead to a cease and desist order to put the company on notice that a recurrence would merit further action.
The investigation is still in its initial stages and further talks are planned between the regulator and OTAs.
