TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor operates as a comprehensive online travel platform, sourcing and aggregating reviews and opinions from a global community of travelers. The company was founded in February 2000 by Stephen Kaufer, Langley Steinert, Nick Shanny, and Thomas Palka. The initial idea, born from Kaufer's own frustrating experience planning a vacation, was to create a resource for unbiased travel information. The original concept focused on aggregating professional content from guidebooks and magazines, but a feature allowing users to add their own reviews quickly became the platform's cornerstone, leading to a pivotal shift in strategy.

Stephen Kaufer, a computer science graduate from Harvard University, brought extensive software development experience to the venture, having previously co-founded CenterLine Software. Langley Steinert holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business and had experience at companies like Lotus Software and Viaweb. The founders' combined expertise was crucial in navigating the company's early challenges, including securing initial funding and encouraging user-generated content. The company was acquired by IAC/InterActiveCorp in 2004 and later spun off as part of Expedia, Inc. in 2005. A significant milestone was its spin-off from Expedia in December 2011, becoming an independent, publicly-traded company on NASDAQ under the symbol TRIP.

The platform serves a dual-sided market: travelers seeking information and businesses in the travel and hospitality sector. For travelers, TripAdvisor offers a vast database of over a billion reviews and opinions on approximately 8 million establishments, including hotels, restaurants, airlines, and attractions. This user-generated content is supplemented by price comparison tools and online booking capabilities. For businesses, it provides a platform to reach a massive audience of potential customers. The business model is multifaceted, generating revenue primarily through advertising and commissions. Its main revenue streams are categorized into 'Hotels, Media & Platform' and 'Experiences & Dining'. Revenue is generated through click-based advertising (cost-per-click), where travel partners pay a fee for referrals from TripAdvisor's sites. Additional income comes from display advertising, subscription fees for business listings that offer enhanced features, and commissions on bookings made through its platform for hotels, vacation rentals, tours, and restaurant reservations via subsidiaries like Viator and TheFork.

Keywords: travel reviews, hotel booking, flight comparison, vacation rentals, restaurant reservations, online travel agency, user-generated content, travel planning, tour booking, activity booking, Stephen Kaufer, Langley Steinert, Viator, TheFork, travel advertising, cost-per-click, travel technology, hospitality marketing, peer reviews, travel community, destination guides, travel price comparison