Request to block access to 10 travel sites! Airbnb is among them...

The Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) has initiated legal proceedings against international digital tourism platforms operating in the Turkish market. The association has taken the matter to court to request access blocks for 10 well-known platforms that provide services without being incorporated in the country.

In its statement, TÜRSAB expressed that these platforms create market imbalances by leveraging their global scale, operate without establishing a local legal entity in Turkey, and fail to fulfill their tax obligations. In this context, access restrictions were requested for several platforms, including Airbnb.

Here are the platforms for which an access block has been requested...

Airbnb

Expedia

Hotels.com

Trip.com

Agoda

GetYourGuide

Viator

Isango

ToursByLocals

Musement

The full text of the written statement issued by TÜRSAB on the subject is as follows:

"The Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) continues its determined struggle against entities that cause unfair competition by operating informally in the tourism sector.

Legal proceedings have been initiated with the request to impose access blocks on travel portals that operate in Turkey without any company establishment, do not establish tax liability, are not subject to administrative audits and sanctions, and unlawfully offer sales, marketing, promotion, and reservation services that are granted only to TÜRSAB-member travel agencies under the Travel Agencies and Association of Travel Agencies Law No. 1618.

The portals in question, by operating in an uncontrolled and unregulated manner, victimize both the legal actors of the sector, namely travel agencies, and consumers, and do not even provide a legal contact for consumers. This situation disrupts the fair competition environment in the tourism economy and deepens informality.

As TÜRSAB;

We will follow this legal process, which has been initiated to prevent unfair competition, terminate unlawful and uncontrolled activities, and protect the rights and interests of our travel agencies, to the end.

Our struggle against all structures operating informally in the tourism economy, regardless of their size and power, will be continued with determination within the framework of the rule of law.

Respectfully announced to the public.*