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 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
TripAdvisor ditches DaoDao brand in China, favours owls and journeys instead
News / Online
TripAdvisor ditches DaoDao brand in China, favours owls and journeys instead
By Kevin May | May 27, 2015
An "owl" and a "journey" are at the heart of a new brand for TripAdvisor in China, after axing the DaoDao name it has used since 2009. Mao Tu Ying will now be used as the global brand for the user Read More
Facebook continues content push by adding critic reviews to restaurant pages
News / Online
Facebook continues content push by adding critic reviews to restaurant pages
By Nick Vivion | May 26, 2015
In its bid to increase the quality of hosted content beyond user-generated tidbits, Facebook has added selected critic reviews to restaurant pages. The run is limited to only a couple of thousand r Read More
Expedia sells stake in eLong to Ctrip and others for $671 million
News / Distribution
Expedia sells stake in eLong to Ctrip and others for $671 million
By Kevin May | May 22, 2015
Expedia Inc has offloaded its majority stake in Chinese online travel agency eLong to rival agency Ctrip and a consortium of financial backers. The 62.4% ownership will now belong to Ctrip with Key Read More
Startup pitch: Experitus is a travel experience marketplace
News / Distribution
Startup pitch: Experitus is a travel experience marketplace
By Sean O'Neil | May 21, 2015
Experitus is a marketplace for locals and guides to sell short lessons in their hobbies and careers to visitors at a destination. The startup, founded in Ukraine but shifting its offices west, beli Read More
Hungry again, TripAdvisor acquires Dimmi, a restaurant-booking site Down Under
News / Distribution
Hungry again, TripAdvisor acquires Dimmi, a restaurant-booking site Down Under
By Sean O'Neil | May 19, 2015
TripAdvisor said today that it has acquired Australian restaurant booking platform, Dimmi. The amount was not disclosed. Dimmi had raised about $15 million (AUS) from investors, including CMB and t Read More
TripAdvisor's Kaufer defends Instant Booking, teases an itinerary-builder tool
News / Distribution
TripAdvisor's Kaufer defends Instant Booking, teases an itinerary-builder tool
By Sean O'Neil | May 19, 2015
TripAdvisor CEO Steve Kaufer was interviewed by J.P. Morgan investment analyst Doug Anmuth today at the Global Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference in Boston. Kaufer discussed his company's Tr Read More
Suddenly, flight reviews could be the next big thing
News
Suddenly, flight reviews could be the next big thing
By Kevin May | May 18, 2015
Expedia has been quietly testing out flight reviews for the past 18 months - with results so far illustrating that they could become as important as hotel reviews. It is not an entirely new concept Read More
Yelp may be up for sale...but who would spend billions to buy it?
News / Distribution
Yelp may be up for sale...but who would spend billions to buy it?
By Nick Vivion | May 11, 2015
The media is devouring the news that Yelp is supposedly on the hunt for a strategic buyer. Triggered by a report in the Wall Street Journal that Yelp is "exploring a sale," the global interest in t Read More
Half of TripAdvisor's revenue comes from Expedia and Priceline, analysts say
News
Half of TripAdvisor's revenue comes from Expedia and Priceline, analysts say
By Sean O'Neil | May 6, 2015
TripAdvisor, the user reviews and hotel metasearch website, released first quarter results on Wednesday. In a report released prior to the earnings, veteran tech analyst Mark Mahaney of RBC Capital Read More
Travel startups: Don't bring a knife to a gunfight
News
Travel startups: Don't bring a knife to a gunfight
By Alex Bainbridge | April 28, 2015
The travel industry has not been very receptive recently to digital travel startups. Yes, articles are written, conference startup pitch invites are received, but generally the incumbents, or digit Read More
Make room for mobile-friendly hotel review platforms
News / Technology
Make room for mobile-friendly hotel review platforms
By Margaret Ady | April 13, 2015
The November 2014 World Travel Market Global Trends report projects that mobile bookings will account for 35% of online bookings by 2018, and this doesn’t include the travelers who are driven to call Read More
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