PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE LAWSUIT FILED BY TÜRSAB AGAINST UNFAIR COMPETITION TARGETING TRAVEL AGENCIES

The Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) continues its determined fight against entities that engage in unregistered activities in the tourism sector, thereby causing unfair competition.

Legal proceedings have been initiated with the request to block access to travel portals that, despite operating in Türkiye, do not have any corporate structure, do not establish tax liability, are not subject to administrative supervision and sanctions, and unlawfully offer sales, marketing, promotion, and reservation services that are exclusively granted to TÜRSAB member travel agencies under the Travel Agencies and Travel Agencies Association Law No. 1618. These portals operate without supervision or regulation, harming both travel agencies, which are legal actors in the sector, and consumers. Furthermore, they do not provide consumers with any legal recourse. This situation undermines fair competition in the tourism economy and deepens the informal economy.

As TÜRSAB, we will follow this legal process to its conclusion with the aim of preventing unfair competition, ending illegal and unregulated activities, and protecting the rights and interests of our travel agencies.

We will resolutely continue our fight against all unregistered entities operating in the tourism economy, regardless of their size or power, within the framework of the rule of law.

Respectfully submitted to the public.

Association of Turkish Travel Agencies
TÜRSAB