Tripadvisor Foundation Pledges $1 Million To Support Organisations Serving Vulnerable People and Communities Severely Impacted by COVID-19

Funding of $425,000 for International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Mercy Corps to support global COVID-19 relief efforts for displaced populations
Support for United Way’s 211 helpline expansion to cope with COVID-19 demand
Commitment to local Massachusetts organisations supporting health crisis

London, UK, April 17, 2020 – Tripadvisor®, the world’s largest travel platform, today revealed further details on the Tripadvisor Foundation’s initial commitment of $1 million to organisations supporting the most vulnerable people and communities around the world in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Last week it was announced that $150,000 of the Tripadvisor Foundation relief fund had been pledged to support impacted front line restaurant workers through a match-for-action campaign with donations going to World Central Kitchen (WCK) and the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation (RWCF).

Today, additional financial commitments have been confirmed with a range of global and local organisations supporting impacted communities where the COVID-19 crisis has affected the welfare and health of many vulnerable people around the world.

“The devastating effects of COVID-19 are touching almost everyone, and through the Tripadvisor Foundation we are doing what we can to help,” said Steve Kaufer, President and CEO of Tripadvisor. “As we all try to navigate this global health crisis, we are helping the industry and specifically frontline and hourly workers impacted, but it’s also vital we do not forget the millions of displaced people suffering around the world. We remain committed to continuing to focus on the humanitarian crisis affecting the vast displaced population, many of whom have no access to healthcare or sanitary conditions - desperate at any time, but unimaginably horrific during a global health pandemic.”

Global Aid For Displaced Populations: $425,000

“As a global company, Tripadvisor has frequently been outspoken about its responsibility to support the harrowing humanitarian crisis of displaced populations and we can’t turn our backs on them now,” Kaufer added. Today, the Foundation has committed financial support to its long-standing partners, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Mercy Corps, as they ramp up their programs and relief efforts. These partnerships will fund prevention mechanisms, healthcare services and other support initiatives for people acutely affected by the global pandemic, both now, and in the coming months, including:

Funding of $250,000 committed to the IRC:

$100K to the IRC’s COVID-19 Response Fund
$150K for the support and expansion of Signpost, which provides digital real-time, local language access to vital information services for people in crisis. In response to COVID-19, Signpost is providing life-saving information to highly vulnerable populations in Italy, El Savador and Honduras and will expand soon to Greece and Guatemala.

Funding of $175,000 committed to Mercy Corps:

$100,000 to their COVID-19 Resilience Fund
$75,000 to Mercy Corps’ MicroMentor, a business mentoring platform, aiming to engage an additional 30,000 business mentors in supporting 100,000 small businesses around the world in response to COVID-19.

Funding For US organisations: $250,000

In addition to a total donation of $150,000 for World Central Kitchen and the Restaurant Workers Community Foundation, a further $100,000 has now been committed to supporting the expansion of United Way and the 211 service, which is receiving a 4x increase in call volume during the COVID-19 crisis. 211 is a free and confidential helpline service that helps people across North America find local information and support 24/7—whether financial, domestic, health or disaster-related.

Local Massachusetts Funding: $75,000

Headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts, the Tripadvisor Foundation has also committed to supporting a number of local organisations in their COVID-19 relief efforts:

$25,000 to The Boston Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund
$25,000 to Foundation of MetroWest Emergency Relief Fund
$25,000 to International Institute of New England COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund

Additional Funds

The remaining $250,000 of the $1 million COVID-19 relief funding is still under careful consideration by the Tripadvisor Foundation to ensure it has the most meaningful impact possible. Details of this allocation will be confirmed soon and the beneficiary and specific commitment will be made public on official company channels.

The Tripadvisor Foundation is the corporate philanthropic arm of Tripadvisor and works to address some of the most pressing humanitarian challenges facing global communities. Since 2010, the Foundation has donated more than $35 million to nonprofit organisations that strengthen human lives and that are supported by Tripadvisor employees around the world.

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About Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel platform*, helps 463 million travellers each month** make every trip their best trip. travellers across the globe use the Tripadvisor site and app to browse 859 million reviews and opinions of 8.6 million accommodations, restaurants, experiences, airlines and cruises. Whether planning or on a trip, travellers turn to Tripadvisor to compare low prices on hotels, flights and cruises, book popular tours and attractions, as well as reserve tables at great restaurants. Tripadvisor, the ultimate travel companion, is available in 49 markets and 28 languages.

The subsidiaries and affiliates of Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP), own and operate a portfolio of travel media brands and businesses, operating under various websites and apps, including the following websites: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bokun.io, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com, www.restorando.com, and www.bookatable.co.uk), www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.housetrip.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.singleplatform.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, and www.viator.com.

* Source: Jumpshot for Tripadvisor Sites, worldwide, November 2019

** Source: Tripadvisor internal log files, average monthly unique visitors, Q3 2019