Compared to other major players in the space (namely, Airbnb and Booking.com), TripAdvisor stays relatively quiet on the status of its Rentals business.
While the platform doesn’t boast quite the same numbers as its competitors (the two companies mentioned above have both reported more than five million listings on their respective sites), TripAdvisor does have a healthy 880,000 rentals available to book.
And it’s actively at work refining the Rentals experience for both owners and travelers: Last week, TripAdvisor announced a new partnership with property management platform Guesty that automates tasks, such as entering reservation information updating calendars, for owners.
Subscribe to our newsletter below
Debbie Pope, senior director of connectivity and attractions tickets at TripAdvisor, says the integration with Guesty - one of multiple software companies TripAdvisor works with - also makes it easier for eligible property managers to enable Instant Book.
With Instant Book, the company claims there’s a resulting 10% or more increase in bookings, a 15% increase in revenue and an 18% spike in consumer interest.
“Before this integration, owners had to manually enter reservation information,” Pope says. “This integration automates these steps for owners, leading to a better site experience for owners and travelers alike.
“We’re constantly building out the vacation rentals product to improve the experience for both sides of our marketplace. Enhancements to our homeowner and property management experience, like this [Guesty] one, are an important part of our focus on quality inventory.”
Building business
Pope goes on to say TripAdvisor’s Rentals business is part of its “holistic” approach to the travel planning and booking experience. “Every section of our business - hotels, attractions, restaurants and rentals - is fundamental to our raison d'être: to help travelers have amazing travel experiences,” she says.
She also points to the power of traveler reviews - of which TripAdvisor counts more than 702 million - that give it a leg up over the competition.
“We’re the only place travelers can book their rental, then go on to book the top-rated attractions and restaurants as determined by hundreds of millions of people around the world,” she says.
In addition to TripAdvisor, Guesty counts Airbnb, Booking.com and Agoda among its partners. Launched in 2013, it raised nearly $20 million in Series B funding in April to build its technology and team.