The Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) has initiated legal proceedings seeking to block access to 10 foreign-based online travel platforms, including Airbnb, Expedia, Hotels.com and Agoda, citing violations of Turkish regulations.
TÜRSAB claims these platforms operate in Türkiye without local registration, licenses or tax obligations, allowing them to dominate the market unfarily and create competition disadvantages for domestic travel agencies.
Under the Turkish law regarding travel agencies, only registered travel agencies are authorized to conduct sales, marketing promotion and booking services within the country.
TÜRSAB warned that unlicensed global platforms operate outside the scope of regulation, controlling the market under the pretext of offering convenience to consumers while providing no legally accountable entity for customer grievances.
“This legal action aims not only to protect the rights of licensed travel agencies but also to prevent consumer harm resulting from unregulated activity,” TÜRSAB said.
The association highlighted that these platforms’ practices are unfair and undermine both the integrity of the national tourism sector and state oversight mechanisms.
TÜRSAB emphasized that its legal campaign will continue decisively against all unregistered operators, regardless of their size or market influence, with the dual aim of safeguarding consumer rights and maintaining a fair, regulated environment for Türkiye’s travel industry.
The request to block access also extends to other prominent travel platforms, including GetYourGuide, Viator, Isango, ToursByLocals, Trip.com and Musement.
