By Mauro Orru


Italy's competition watchdog launched an investigation into Booking.com, saying the online travel company might be stifling competition by adjusting accommodation prices on its platform without permission from hotels.

The Italian Competition Authority, or AGCM, said Friday that Booking.com, part of Booking Holdings, is applying discounts on its own platform when it sees that a hotel is offering a better price elsewhere, thus adjusting prices without permission from hotels.

The AGCM said Italian authorities had conducted inspections at Booking.com's premises in the country on Thursday, adding that the platform's strategy could hinder effective competition in the market for online hotel brokerage and reservation services.

A spokesperson for Booking.com said the company is fully cooperating with Italian authorities who visited the company's offices in the country.


Write to Mauro Orru at mauro.orru@wsj.com


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

03-22-24 0622ET