Tourism agency to decide on booking.com blocking by Jun 4

MOSCOW, May 23 (PRIME) -- Russia’s Federal Tourism Agency has received a request from the Culture Ministry to consider the idea of blocking activities of Booking.com, a travel fare aggregator website and travel metasearch engine, and the position should be unveiled by June 4, an agency spokesperson said on Wednesday.

“We find it necessary to ask for an opinion of professional public associations regarding the suggestion and will quickly send them the corresponding request,” the spokesperson said.

Vice President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry Olga Sanayeva said that Booking.com will be hardly blocked in the country, but it should function in the single legal field as local operators do.

“I’d certainly like Booking.com to work in the same field as tour operators, at least in the legal field. As head of the regional council of the union, I know that business has questions to Booking.com,” she said.

Dutch firm Booking.com belongs to U.S. company Priceline Group.

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