Fliggy, Chinese tech giant Alibaba’s travel platform, is preparing to enter the Turkish market as parliament considers new legislation to regulate foreign digital booking platforms.
Fliggy plans to use the infrastructure of Trendyol, Alibaba's local e-commerce platform. It will target high-spending Chinese tourists seeking to travel to Turkey, as well as local travelers.
However, the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) expressed concern over the potential return of foreign giants. Booking.com has been banned for Turkish users since 2017. Local operators argue that such global platforms with massive marketing budgets create unfair competition for small domestic agencies. Conversely, supporters contend that increased competition will improve price transparency and boost national tourism revenues.
The 'Foreign Digital Accommodation Platforms Bill,' submitted on Aug. 10, allows global entities such as Booking.com to legally offer domestic booking services in Turkey. Under the proposed law, foreign platforms must establish a local legal entity, obtain a 5 million lira ($103,000) two-year operating permit from the Tourism Ministry, and accept a 17% cap on accommodation commissions. Non-compliant platforms face access blocks by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority.
