China Regulators Issue Administrative Guidance to Online Hotel Booking Platforms
China's State Administration for Market Regulation, together with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, held an administrative guidance meeting for the online hotel booking platform sector, requiring platforms including Meituan, Douyin, JD.com, Trip.com, Tongcheng and Fliggy to strictly fulfill compliance responsibilities and prevent competitive risks. Platforms were told to comply with the Anti-Monopoly Law, Anti-Unfair Competition Law, E-Commerce Law and Tourism Law, learn from cases, self-inspect, and guard against exclusive cooperation and 'lowest price across the internet' practices and other involution-style competition risks.
Impact and considerations
Regulators explicitly flagged exclusive cooperation and 'lowest price across the internet' practices, potentially changing pricing and distribution terms between online hotel booking platforms and hotels, affecting corporate travel procurement and hotel direct-connect strategies.
Key points
- The State Administration for Market Regulation and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism held an administrative guidance meeting for the online hotel booking platform sector.
- Platforms including Meituan, Douyin, JD.com, Trip.com, Tongcheng and Fliggy were required to strictly fulfill compliance responsibilities.
- Platforms were told to comply with the Anti-Monopoly Law, Anti-Unfair Competition Law, E-Commerce Law and Tourism Law.
- Platforms must learn from cases, self-inspect, and guard against exclusive cooperation and 'lowest price across the internet' involution-style competition risks.
Sources and time
- Primary source
- 品橙旅游
- Other sources
- 0
- First source publication
- 16 Sept 2026, 08:00
- Page published
- 16 Sept 2026, 18:00
- Last updated
- 16 Sept 2026, 08:00
- Original links
- Pinchain Tourism：两部门：对在线酒店预订平台行业开展行政指导 – 品橙旅游 (opens in a new tab)Primary source · zh · Published 16 Sept 2026, 08:00