Fair Trade Commission Orders Exclusionary Measures against Four Major Travel Agencies for Collusion in Bidding for COVID-19 Patient Transport in Aomori City

The Fair Trade Commission has issued exclusionary measures based on the Antimonopoly Act to bidders involved in the tender for the transport of COVID-19 patients ordered through a competitive bidding process by Aomori Prefecture.

The companies that received the exclusionary measures are Tobu Top Tours, Nippon Travel Agency Tohoku, Meitetsu World Travel, and JTB (Japan Travel Bureau), with Kinki Nippon Tourist being exempted.

Tobu Top Tours, Nippon Travel Agency Tohoku, and Kinki Nippon Tourist were subjected to a reduction in fines under the leniency program, with Kinki Nippon Tourist being exempted. Tobu Top Tours and JTB did not face an order to pay fines as the amounts were less than one million yen.

Additionally, it was discovered that these five companies were in communication about bid prices among other matters during meetings of the JATA (Japan Association of Travel Agents) Tohoku Branch Aomori Prefecture Committee, leading to a request to JATA to ensure that its members, officers, and secretariat staff are aware of the details of the exclusionary measures.