Once one of the Netherlands’ feats, Booking.com, the world’s largest and most popular hotel booking website, has turned into one of the country’s most hated sites, after its management deceived Dutch authorities and misused government financial support it received. , which amounted to 65 million euros at the beginning of the global Corona crisis.
The site had received this amount as part of the government aid provided by the Netherlands to companies in the country, to help them overcome the Corona crisis, and to preserve the jobs of workers in these companies. Its main center is in the capital (Amsterdam). Read also Tesla invests in Bitcoin and makes it a means of payment.. Will the big companies follow in its footsteps? Major companies, but they are mired in debt.. Learn about the losses of the oil giants in the world Product quality first.. Marketing tips for startups What are zombie companies and what do you know about them?
The number of workers at the site in the Netherlands is 5,500, while the number of employees around the world is 17,500.
The company’s move at the time sparked a storm of anger in the Dutch media and on social media, and criticism reached the Dutch government itself, which received a large share of criticism; Because it did not impose conditions on the company to prevent laying off any employees in return for the amount of assistance it received from the government.
Millions for company managersمدراء
The issue of Dutch government aid to the “Booking” company returned to the fore last month, after it was revealed that the company’s management granted bonuses to some of its managers, estimated at tens of millions, despite the stifling economic crisis the world is witnessing, and although the company itself has reduced the salaries of a large part of its employees. ; Because of the suspension of tourism in most countries of the world.
These bounties brought the hotel booking site back into public debate in the Netherlands, this time in the Dutch parliament, where a government minister called for the company to be morally responsible and return the amount of aid it had received to the Dutch government.
The company responded under the influence of popular and governmental pressure, and returned the amount of assistance to the Dutch government a few days ago, in a move that is not expected to repair the damage done to the company’s reputation, at least in the Netherlands.
And “Booking” still refrains from speaking to the Dutch or international media, and has not responded to Al Jazeera Net’s questions.