TÜRSAB sues Airbnb, Expedia and others: Turkey tightens its stance on global booking platforms once again
The Turkish tourism market is entering a new phase of regulatory conflict with global digital platforms.
Association of Turkish Travel Agencies TÜRSAB (Association of Turkish Travel Agencies) she filed a lawsuit seeking ban on access for 10 international travel and booking platforms. The reason, according to the association, is, unfair competition, lack of local registration, and avoidance of tax and regulatory obligations.
This is one of TÜRSAB's most serious moves in recent years, with potentially significant consequences for the digital distribution of tourism services in Turkey.
Which platforms are included in the lawsuit?
The lawsuit relates to the following global brands:
- Airbnb
- Expedia
- Hotels.com
- Trip.com
- Agoda
- GetYourGuide
- Viator
- Isango
- ToursByLocals
- Musement
According to TÜRSAB, these platforms offer accommodation, tours, and tourism services in the Turkish market without setting up local companies, without licences and without paying taxes, while achieving significant revenues at the same time.
Key issue: unregulated business
In an official statement, TÜRSAB emphasises that global platforms operate „under the guise of consumer convenience“, but outside of any regulatory framework.
Unlike them, local tourist agencies in Turkey:
- We operate under strict legal conditions
- subject to supervision and licensing
- financial and legal obligations to the state and passengers
Such a model, TÜRSAB claims, creates Structural imbalance iugoročno ugrožava održivost domaće turističke industrije.
Precedent from 2018: the Booking.com case
This legal initiative has a clear historical background.
Years 2018., following a similar lawsuit by TÜRSAB, Booking.com has been banned from operating in Turkey. due to unregulated activity. This ban is still in effect today.
This very case lends additional weight to the current lawsuit and shows that Turkish institutions are willing to implement restrictive measures..
Wider implications for the tourism industry
This dispute extends beyond Turkey's borders. It reopens key questions:
- Who controls digital distribution in tourism
- How to regulate global OTAs and experience platforms
- Where is the line between innovation and unfair competition
For travel agencies and suppliers in the region, this case is a clear signal that the era of digital platform deregulation is entering a new phase of re-examination.
source Hürriyet Daily News
