TripAdvisor helps travellers to manage trips better on their 15-year anniversary

Published on : Friday, February 27, 2015

tripadvisorTripAdvisor announced that it is celebrating its 15-year anniversary helping travellers plan and book a perfect trip. TripAdvisor has rapidly grown from its early days above a Needham, Mass. pizzeria to become the world’s largest travel site. The company now spans more than 45 countries and had more than 2.5 billion unique visitors during 2014. TripAdvisor also recently crossed the200 million reviews and opinions milestone.

“It’s been an incredible journey so far, and I am just as excited about what our future holds,” said Stephen Kaufer, president and CEO of TripAdvisor. “TripAdvisor has evolved from being the site for hotel reviews to becoming the ‘destination site’ where you go to research and book nearly every aspect of your trip.”

In India, TripAdvisor commenced its journey in August 2008 and in this short time, the site already attracts millions of visitors in a month. It is also the 4th largest travel site in India with over 40000 Indian hotels, which is larger than any other website in the country.

Summing up his thoughts on this occasion Nikhil Ganju, Country Manager, TripAdvisor said “Around the world, and particularly so in developing markets like India, TripAdvisor has been the game changing platform for both travellers as well as hospitality businesses that host those travellers. I’m proud to have been part of the India team that has scripted a meaningful transformation in the way Indians have consumed as well as contributed significant volumes of content on TripAdvisor, making the site more and more relevant to Indians every single minute. As TripAdvisor moves towards another exciting phase of enabling travellers to book accommodations around the world, I can only imagine how meaningful the site and the app will become to travellers over the next few years.”

TripAdvisor Traveller Feedback Soars
The first-ever TripAdvisor traveller review was of Captain’s House Inn in Chatham, Mass., which earned a rating of 4 bubbles. Since then,the number of traveller reviews and opinions on TripAdvisor has accelerated dramatically around the world, up 2,000 percent in the last 10 years, and up 60 percent since last year.

The Evolution to Booking on TripAdvisor
In its continued effort to help travellers have a perfect trip, in recent years TripAdvisor has evolved its mission to allow users to easily compare prices, find great deals and book not only hotels, but also restaurants and attractions.First, in 2013 TripAdvisor rolled out its hotel price comparison search and became the first to match real-time pricing and availability with more than 100 million reviews and opinions of TripAdvisor travellers. Consumers are able to check hundreds of websites to find the best hotel prices andclick through to the booking partners’ sites to complete the transaction.

Then, in May 2014, TripAdvisor launched its instant booking platform that allows users to not only compare prices, but book hotels through the company’s hotel and online travel agency partners without leaving the TripAdvisor site. Instant booking is currently available to U.S. travellers with a gradual roll out in the works to global markets.

And, most recently,TripAdvisor acquired a number of restaurant and attraction booking sites,including la fourchette and Viator, to broaden the booking options for consumers on the site.

Leveling the Playing Field for Businesses
Not only has TripAdvisor helped travellers plan and book better vacations, but ithas also had a positive impact on the travel industry. Over the years, the site has elevated businesses that offer exceptional service and are highly regarded in reviews by their guests. With more than 315 million unique monthly visitors, the site serves as an incredible marketing tool for many properties, especially smaller and independent establishments with little or no marketing budget.

Over the years the company launched a dedicated TripAdvisor for Business division and several innovative features to support the industry.  These include tools such asa Management Center, offering free resources and content to help hospitality businesses engage with the TripAdvisor community and respond to traveler reviews, and Review Express, an automated platform for hoteliers to encourage their guests to share candid feedback on TripAdvisor.

5Little-Known TripAdvisor Facts
1.    TripAdvisor is the world’s most popular travel app
2.    TripAdvisor now offers personalized hotel results through its “Just for You” feature
3.    Maria AA is the longest serving member of the TripAdvisor community – having joined the site in 2002
4.    There are more restaurants (2.4 million) listed on TripAdvisor than hotels (915,000)
5.    The majority of TripAdvisor’s site traffic now comes from outside the U.S.

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