Tripadvisor News

As one of the most influential platforms in travel planning and user-generated content, Tripadvisor plays a critical role in shaping consumer behavior and digital strategy across the industry. PhocusWire tracks the latest Tripadvisor news, providing detailed coverage of its business evolution, product innovations, and strategic direction within the broader travel ecosystem.

Updates and insights on Tripadvisor’s role in global travel

Explore how Tripadvisor continues to adapt to changes in search, social media, and AI-driven personalization. Our reporting examines the company’s tech investments, its evolving marketplace model, and the shifting dynamics of online reviews and booking tools. From new B2B services to advertising partnerships and sustainability initiatives, Tripadvisor’s activity signals larger trends across the travel and hospitality landscape.

TripAdvisor peers into the mouth of the travel transaction funnel
News / Online
TripAdvisor peers into the mouth of the travel transaction funnel
By Sean O'Neil | July 9, 2015
TripAdvisor, the user-reviews giant, recently studied how well its advertising was working as travelers moved through the transaction funnel, from inspiration to research to purchase. Like many oth Read More
Google quietly adds instant booking for hotels, copying TripAdvisor
News / Distribution
Google quietly adds instant booking for hotels, copying TripAdvisor
By Sean O'Neil | July 9, 2015
For the first time, Google users can book a hotel room without ever leaving the search giant's familiar desktop interface. The addition of assisted booking to Google.com/hotels, the search giant's Read More
Sharing snaps online in jeopardy as EU considers copyright changes
News / Technology
Sharing snaps online in jeopardy as EU considers copyright changes
By Linda Fox | July 3, 2015
In what seems a mad move, the EU is considering amending copyright laws which could make the online sharing of travel snaps and video footage illegal. In countries such as the Germany, Spain and th Read More
Zozi raises $30M, partly from Richard Branson, for its activities platform
News / Distribution
Zozi raises $30M, partly from Richard Branson, for its activities platform
By Sean O'Neil | July 1, 2015
The pivot worked. That's the conclusion that can be drawn from the decision of investors to pour $30 million into Zozi, a tours-and-activities startup in San Francisco. Signaling confidence, even R Read More
Startup pitch: Klook has high ambitions for tours and activities in Asia
News / Technology
Startup pitch: Klook has high ambitions for tours and activities in Asia
By Linda Fox | June 30, 2015
Klook was devised as a curated platform for local travel activities and with Asian travellers in mind. Founders of the Hong Kong-based startup are a couple of former investment bankers, Eric Gnock Read More
Tripadvisor links up with Chinese state tourism agency, crowdsources translations
News / Technology
Tripadvisor links up with Chinese state tourism agency, crowdsources translations
By Martin Cowen | June 30, 2015
Tripadvisor has added more details about its plans for China and its new Chinese brand Mao Tu Ying. In May TripAdvisor announced plans to drop DaoDao  in China in favour of Mao Tu Ying. A press Read More
What tech-savvy travellers want, what the industry is giving them (or not)
News / Technology
What tech-savvy travellers want, what the industry is giving them (or not)
By Kevin May | June 30, 2015
New research reveals a worrying disconnect between what so-called connected travellers want from a trip and how parts of the industry are failing to respon. For example, almost half (45%) of travel Read More
Airports become latest part of the industry under review from TripAdvisor
News / Technology
Airports become latest part of the industry under review from TripAdvisor
By Kevin May | June 24, 2015
Not content with becoming the unofficial watchdog for hotels and attractions, TripAdvisor is now concentrating on airports. The consumer review giant will now give travellers the chance to review a Read More
Ignore the hyperbole: SEO is alive and kicking in travel (even for the small guys)
News / Distribution
Ignore the hyperbole: SEO is alive and kicking in travel (even for the small guys)
By Viewpoints | June 23, 2015
"SEO is dead" is a well-known catchphrase, most commonly heard from newly unemployed spam merchants in bitter reaction to Google’s latest algorithm update. NB: This is an analysis by Matthew Barker Read More
Regulator to probe websites amid concern over fake reviews and back-hand endoresments
News / Online
Regulator to probe websites amid concern over fake reviews and back-hand endoresments
June 19, 2015
A string of unnamed web companies are to be investigated into the non-disclosure of paid endorsements and for publishing bogus reviews of products. Travel brands are expected to be included in the Read More
Up in the air - TripAdvisor now on in-flight entertainment systems
News / Technology
Up in the air - TripAdvisor now on in-flight entertainment systems
By Kevin May | June 18, 2015
TripAdvisor has talked a lot about how it is on traveller desktops and also in their pockets via mobile devices - but it's now in the skies, too. The company has yet to announce the integration, bu Read More
TripAdvisor nabs Marriott for Instant Booking, stock jumps 14%
News / Distribution
TripAdvisor nabs Marriott for Instant Booking, stock jumps 14%
By Sean O'Neil | June 17, 2015
TripAdvisor, the travel metasearch giant, has long wanted hotel chains to join its year-old Instant Booking platform, which processes reservations like it's an agency.* But among the half-dozen lar Read More
What you audit know about Florida's hotel tax final ruling [CORRECTED]
News / Distribution
What you audit know about Florida's hotel tax final ruling [CORRECTED]
By Sean O'Neil | June 11, 2015
Florida's highest court has ruled that online travel agencies (OTAs) do not need to pay special taxes that 17 counties attempted to charge on a portion of their hotel transactions. The "bed tax" c Read More
TripAdvisor's Viator unveils DIY listing to tours and activities suppliers
News / Distribution
TripAdvisor's Viator unveils DIY listing to tours and activities suppliers
By Sean O'Neil | May 29, 2015
Viator, the tours-and-activities company purchased by TripAdvisor for $200 million last year, has launched an open-listing platform. Before the acquisition, Viator CEO Barrie Seidenberg had already Read More
Online DNA - how TripAdvisor puts reviews under the microscope
News
Online DNA - how TripAdvisor puts reviews under the microscope
By Linda Fox | May 28, 2015
For years TripAdvisor has kept how it vets its reviews a closely guarded secret, prompting calls for verified reviews and column inches from the media on supposed mistreated hotels. Now, the review Read More
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