The EU General Court upheld the European Commission's decision to block Booking's acquisition of ETraveli. The €1.63 billion deal did not go through, bringing the impact on competition in the travel sector into focus.
The General Court of the European Union upheld the European Commission's decision to block Booking Holdings' proposed acquisition of ETraveli for approximately €1.63 billion. As a result, the original transaction did not go through, according to reports.
The background to the decision was the European Commission's finding that the acquisition would advance Booking's creation of an integrated ecosystem in the travel sector, placing competing companies at a disadvantage. The court found the regulator's approach to the review correct and upheld the decision to reject the transaction.
Booking Holdings, whose subsidiaries include Booking.com and Priceline, and ETraveli, which is owned by CVC Capital Partners and operates services such as Gotogate and Mytrip, have become the focus of renewed debate over their positions in the travel market. The case number is T-1139/23, and the Judgment was issued by the General Court.