TripAdvisor Q1 Shows Some Positives Although Core Hotel Business Is Still Tough Going
Photo Credit: TripAdvisor spent $24 million on brand advertising, such as TV, in the first quarter. It plans on spending $100 million to $130 million in 2018. TripAdvisor
Skift Take
Beyond all the financial razzmatazz, TripAdvisor's core hotel business is still under pressure while the much smaller experiences and restaurant businesses are growing nicely — although not profitably at this point. If TripAdvisor can hang on while these non-core businesses mature, then its outlook would be much brighter.
While TripAdvisor's core hotel-search business was still under pressure in the first quarter, the company made strides in making its marketing spend more efficient, and its tours and activities, and restaurants businesses drove strong growth in the company's non-hotel segment.
Investors thus took some positives from TripAdvisor's first quarter earnings report Tuesday. TripAdvisor's stock price jumped more than 19 percent in after-hours trading Tuesday, as the company raised its outlook to include some earnings growth for 2018 while in February it had expected its earnings to be flat for the year.
TripAdvisor's revenue in its hotel se
