Tripadvisor CEO Dismisses Concerns Over Rivals Amazon, Airbnb and Klook in the Experiences Business
Photo Credit: Tripadvisor CEO Steve Kaufer has repositioned the company as a place to book your entire trip, not just a hotel room or a domestic weekend getaway. Tripadvisor
Skift Take
Tripadvisor CEO Steve Kaufer may be underestimating the threat competitors pose to its tours and activities business, a segment the company may see as its largest opportunity. But it's true that Airbnb is only going after a small slice of that market for now, and Amazon's intentions are unclear.
Although competitors have taken an ax to Tripadvisor's listings lead in tours and activities over the last couple of years, CEO Steve Kaufer still thinks his company's position is still considerably advantageous.
Asked about competition from Airbnb Experiences and potentially from Amazon, which did a soft launch of virtual tours, Kaufer said: “Ya, it’s not all that competitive in the companies you named so far. Amazon, great. Brings more excitement into virtual tours. That’s wonderful. It lifts all boats. Airbnb bespoke tours — some really cool stuff there — but not really much of an overlap with us or what some of our competitors provide.”
In the closing interview for Skift Forum Asia, which took place Thursday, Kaufer argued that Tripadvisor and its Viator brand are in the "pole position" because of the company's vast content and international reach in tours and activities.
In A Deep Dive Into Tripadvisor 2020, published last month, Skift Research fou
