Japan’s antimonopoly regulator is expected to warn 15 major hotel operators in Tokyo to avoid sharing room pricing information with each other.
Sources familiar with the matter say the Japan Fair Trade Commission has found that hotels in Tokyo, including The New Otani, The Imperial and The Okura have exchanged internal information in a way that could lead to illegal cartels.
The sources say sales representatives and other officials of the hotels have met every month in Tokyo.
They reportedly exchange information on occupancy rates, average daily prices and policies to set room rates.
The monthly meeting is believed to have continued for dozens of years.
The sources say the commission’s probe has not found any coordinated, simultaneous rate increases. But some hotels reportedly set prices based on data from others.
The commission appears to be concerned that such information-sharing could lead to cartels and other conduct that prevents fair competition, pushing up prices.
After the end of the coronavirus pandemic, hotel room prices in Tokyo soared as the number of visitors jumped.
The commission likely decided that a swift correction of the practice is needed as accommodation fees remain high.
AloJapan.com