The New TripAdvisor Wants a ‘Holistic’ Relationship With Hotels
Photo Credit: TripAdvisor isn't just about planning a trip and wants the world to know it is a place to book a trip, as well. Pictured is a photo from a TripAdvisor investor presentation. TripAdvisor
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Booking.com and now TripAdvisor are getting deeper into the B2B side of the hotel business. That leaves Expedia as the holdout that so far is maintaining its focus on hotel distribution and is sticking to its proverbial knitting.
If hotels once scoffed at TripAdvisor's user reviews and later embraced them, then they should prepare to welcome a newly transformed TripAdvisor that seeks a more "holistic" relationship with hotels -- and wants to sell them bundles of services and solutions.
That was the word that emerged from TripAdvisor's fourth quarter and full-year 2014 earnings call yesterday as TripAdvisor detailed a plan to transform itself over the next three to five years.
Just as Booking.com is looking to dig deeper into the business-to-business side of the hotel business, TripAdvisor intends to "move towards more holistic partner relationships" with hotels, said CFO Julie Bradley, that may include selling them solutions and "bundling our cpc (cost-per click), Instant Booking and Business Listings" servi
