The Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) has announced that it has initiated legal proceedings to block access to several major international online travel agencies (OTAs) in Türkiye, following its earlier court action against Booking.com.
TÜRSAB, which successfully secured an access ban on Booking.com in 2017 on the grounds of unfair competition, stated that it has now filed lawsuits against 10 other global online reservation platforms. The association claims these portals operate illegally in Türkiye and create unfair competition by offering sales, marketing, promotion and reservation services without meeting legal requirements.
According to TÜRSAB, the targeted platforms operate in Türkiye without establishing local companies, without tax registration, and without being subject to administrative supervision or sanctions. The association argues that such activities violate Türkiye’s Travel Agencies and Travel Agencies Union Law No. 1618, under which these services may only be provided by TÜRSAB-member travel agencies.
In its statement, TÜRSAB said these unregulated platforms harm both licensed travel agencies and consumers, noting that consumers often have no legal counterpart in Türkiye in the event of disputes. The association emphasized that it would pursue the legal process to the end in order to prevent unfair competition, protect the rights of travel agencies, and ensure lawful and supervised operations in the tourism economy.
The platforms TÜRSAB is seeking to block reportedly include Airbnb, Expedia, Hotels.com, Trip.com, Agoda, GetYourGuide, Viator, Isango, ToursByLocals and TUI Musement.
Industry Pushback: “Blocking is not the solution”
The move has triggered a broad debate within Türkiye’s tourism sector. Hotel industry representatives have voiced strong opposition, arguing that access bans are not a sustainable solution.
President of Turkish Hoteliers Association (TÜROB) President Müberra Eresin stressed that restricting access to international online booking platforms would not address the core issues. Pointing to rapid technological change, she said that instead of bans and lawsuits, Türkiye should focus on developing strong, reliable domestic digital platforms. Eresin added that global OTAs should be encouraged to open offices in Türkiye, use their technology locally and fully comply with legal and tax obligations. Otherwise, she warned, access bans could damage Türkiye’s international image, citing the Uber case as an example.
Taxation was another key issue raised by Eresin, who noted that these companies generally pay taxes in the countries where their headquarters are located. If Turkish law requires local offices and tax liabilities, she said, these rules should be enforced—but “blocking access should never be the solution.”
TÜROFED: Digital platforms are part of global tourism
President of Turkish Hoteliers Federation (TÜROFED) Dr. Erkan Yağcı underlined that global tourism is rapidly transforming through digitalization and artificial intelligence, making OTAs essential tools that connect global supply and demand. According to Yağcı, the real issue is not banning these platforms but defining clear legal and regulatory frameworks for how they should operate in Türkiye.
“There is no country in the world where all OTAs are blocked,” Yağcı said, adding that it would be inappropriate for a country as globally integrated as Türkiye—ranked among the world’s top four tourism destinations—to be associated with bans. He also emphasized the importance of tax revenues generated while these platforms operate openly.
Yağcı further highlighted the role of platforms such as Trip.com, Booking and Expedia in promoting Türkiye’s destinations and hotels to millions of potential visitors worldwide. He described it as contradictory to discuss a target of 100 million tourists while simultaneously debating access bans in the domestic market.
TÜROFED Secretary General Yakup Dinler echoed this view, stating: “You cannot stop digitalization through court rulings. Tourism is digital. Growth comes through competition, not closures.”
According to Dinler, the real solution lies not in attempting to block global OTAs, but in fostering the emergence of strong, Türkiye-based digital platforms. Otherwise, he warned, as seen in the Booking.com case, neither hoteliers, nor travel agencies, nor Türkiye ultimately benefit.
Overall, the sector’s common message is clear: digital platforms and artificial intelligence are opportunities, not threats. Any problems should be addressed through regulation, cooperation and competition—not bans.