Turkey Travel Group Sues Booking Sites Including Airbnb, Expedia

A travel association in Turkey filed a lawsuit to block access to 10 foreign travel sites including Airbnb Inc. and Expedia Group Inc., citing unfair competition, tax evasion and consumer protection risks.

The Association of Turkish Travel Agencies, known by its acronym Tursab, said in a statement that the platforms have not established legal entities within Turkey or registered as taxpayers and are therefore not subject to regulations. Despite this, they provide services that, under Turkish law, are exclusively reserved for licensed travel agencies, the association said.