Newsroom
NEEDHAM, Mass. – September 7, 2016 – Travel planning and booking site TripAdvisor® today announced the redesign of the company’s homepage with new feature enhancements that make booking every aspect of a trip more convenient for its community of travelers, in particular, attractions, tours and in-destination activities.
With the debut of a new “Things to Do” widget on the homepage, TripAdvisor is making it easier than ever for travelers to discover and book attractions, tours and local activities right alongside hotels, vacation rentals, restaurants and flights.
More consumers than ever are finding out that TripAdvisor is a great place to book a better and more complete travel experience. Year-to-date, attraction and tour bookings on TripAdvisor¹ have risen 150 percent year-over-year. TripAdvisor has grown its attractions listings by 63 percent during the same period as the company works to make more amazing experiences bookable through the website, along with adding a host of free venues like scenic parks and admission-free museums.
With the new “Things to Do” widget built into TripAdvisor’s updated homepage, users can quickly enter their destination to discover local experiences that can be booked independently, or added to their hotel, vacation rental, restaurant or flight booking. With the continued pairing of millions of traveler reviews and opinions, the new widget will help travelers unleash the full potential of every trip.
“We’re committed to improving the end-to-end planning, booking and in-destination travel experience for our users,” said Jeff Chow, vice president of product, attractions at TripAdvisor. “The tours and attractions industry has been making amazing progress in recent years, moving towards adopting the digital and mobile ways consumers book travel. Our goal is to accelerate this transition by delivering a world full of local travel experiences to our users, instantly bookable on a smartphone, tablet or desktop using TripAdvisor. Giving travelers easy access to an authentic Italian cooking class in Rome, a thrilling helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon and a guided tour of Sydney’s iconic Opera House is just as important as helping them book their lodging or a flight. These are the elements of our travels that turn a good trip into a lifelong memory.”
Additional Feature Enhancements
In addition to the new homepage design, TripAdvisor has also launched other features and perks throughout the site to improve the way travelers find and book a wide range of things to do. These include:
TripAdvisor’s new homepage and feature enhancements are currently available on all English-speaking points of sale.
Top 5 Trending U.S. Attractions
TripAdvisor recently announced the results of its Attractions Trend Index, revealing the top 25 U.S. attractions that have seen the greatest increase in traveler interest this summer, based on year-over-year search activity on TripAdvisor.²
|
U.S. Attraction |
Reason to Go and What to Book |
YoY Traffic Increase |
|
1. One World Observatory – World Trade Center – New York City, New York |
Popular new observatory that opened last May and offers breathtaking views from the top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Travelers can book admission ahead on TripAdvisor for $32 per person. Since being listed on the site, there has been a 165% increase in bookings on TripAdvisor for the attraction. |
340.7% |
|
2. The Magnificent Mile – Chicago, Illinois |
Thirteen-block stretch of downtown Chicago that draws travelers for its shopping, dining and entertainment. Visitors can take the >Chicago Lakefront Neighborhoods Bicycle Tour for $48 to learn more about the Windy City. |
118.0% |
|
3. >Gatlinburg Scenic Overlook – Gatlinburg, Tennessee |
Secluded car pull-off area on the Gatlinburg Bypass offers scenic views of downtown Gatlinburg and the surrounding Smoky Mountains. There is no fee for stopping at the overlook. |
112.5% |
|
4. >The Pearl District – Portland, Oregon |
Trendy one-half square mile area of the city offers a variety of boutiques, galleries, coffee shops and restaurants. Travelers can explore the neighborhood and enjoy a beverage on the Portland Brewery Bike Tour – tickets start at $69 per person. |
109.3% |
|
5. Mount Bonnell – Austin, Texas |
Beautiful hiking trail rewards intrepid travelers with panoramic views of Austin from nearly 800 feet above the city. Admission to the park is free. |
109.2% |
For the full list, please visit: https://www.tripadvisor.com/PressCenter-i7745-c1-Press_Releases.html
¹Increase in attractions bookings on TripAdvisor, January to August 2016 year-over-year
²The Attractions Trend Index rankings were determined based on the percent increase in search sessions on TripAdvisor desktop and mobile for U.S. travelers between 2015 and 2016 for the period of May-July. Attractions were required to have a minimum of 30,000 sessions during the May-July 2016 period and at least four out of five bubbles on TripAdvisor to qualify.
About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor® is the world’s largest travel site*, enabling travelers to unleash the full potential of every trip. TripAdvisor offers advice from millions of travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools that check hundreds of websites to find the best hotel prices. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 350 million average monthly unique visitors**, and reached 385 million reviews and opinions covering 6.6 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 48 markets worldwide. TripAdvisor: Know better, Book better and Go better.
TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP), through its subsidiaries, manages and operates websites under 24 other travel media brands:
www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.citymaps.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com,www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com, www.iens.nl and www.dimmi.com.au),www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.housetrip.com, www.independenttraveler.com,www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com,www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.tripbod.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, www.viator.com, andwww.virtualtourist.com.
*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, May 2016
**Source: TripAdvisor log files, Q2 2016
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