Spain’s antitrust authority fined Booking.com €413.2 million for abusing its dominant market position since 2019.
The regulator, CNMC, imposed two fines of €206.6 million on Booking.com, a unit of New York-listed Booking Holdings, for taking advantage of its 70% to 90% market share to impose unfair terms on hotels and to limit competition from other online booking service providers.
Booking Holdings has not commented on the decision, as reported by Reuters.
The proceedings stemmed from two complaints filed by the Spanish Association of Hotel Directors (AEDH) and the Madrid Hospitality Association in 2021.
#Competence| The CNMC fines a @bookingcom with €413.24 million for abusing its dominant position, at least since 2019.
Their conduct has affected hotels located in Spain 🏨 and competing online travel agencies 🧳
📃 NP: pic.twitter.com/ir6cAB5PJV
— CNMC (@CNMC_ES) July 30, 2024
The CNMC said the booking site prohibits hotels from offering lower rates on their own sites than on Booking.com, while unilaterally imposing price discounts on hotel rooms without consulting hotels.
Booking.com is also forcing Spanish hotels to sue the Netherlands in the event of a conflict, the CNMC said.
To maintain its high market share, Booking.com offers benefits to hotels that charge it more, limiting the ability of alternative service providers to convince hotels to work with them.
The online booking service can appeal the fine to the Spanish Supreme Court.
SOURCE: ot.gr
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