NEWTON, Mass., May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- TripAdvisor® for Business, a newly formed division of TripAdvisor LLC that provides the tourism industry unparalleled access to more than 34 million monthly visitors* worldwide, has today announced efforts to provide marketing support to existing and new Gulf Coast partners affected by the recent Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080902/TRIPADVISORLOGO )

Owners of hotels, B&Bs and inns along the impacted coastal region from New Orleans, Louisiana to St. George Island, Florida -- and within 10 miles of the shore -- will receive a free Business Listing for three months, enabling hoteliers to add their direct contact details to their listings page on TripAdvisor. Owners and managers of vacation rental properties in the same designated region will receive three months of free advertising via Vacation Rentals, which connects researching travelers with available properties.

"TripAdvisor for Business is committed to helping our hospitality industry partners succeed," said Christine Petersen, president of TripAdvisor for Business. "We recognize that small businesses are the backbone of any local economy. The oil spill has the potential to stress these economies and coastal accommodation businesses for months to come. We're taking this action now to provide some relief to help these businesses through what could become challenging times ahead, and as a trusted travel resource, we are equally committed to offering travelers the freshest and most accurate information from other travelers, as well as destination marketing organizations."

Existing Business Listings and Vacation Rentals partners with businesses in the designated region along the Gulf Coast will receive free three-month service extensions. TripAdvisor will contact these customers directly to offer more information.

New partners meeting eligibility requirements may also receive a three-month subscription at no cost. Owners of hotels, B&Bs and inns may contact TripAdvisor for Business at 866-322-5942 to inquire about Business Listings. Vacation rental owners and managers may call 877-354-7539 to inquire about Vacation Rentals. Full details and Terms & Conditions can be found at www.tripadvisor.com/pages/gcpc.html.

About TripAdvisor Media Network

TripAdvisor® Media Network, operated by TripAdvisor, LLC, attracts 46 million monthly visitors* across 16 popular travel brands: TripAdvisor®, www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.frequentflier.com, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.onetime.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.travel-library.com, www.travelpod.com, www.virtualtourist.com and www.kuxun.cn. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 34 million monthly visitors*, 15 million registered members and 35 million reviews and opinions. Featuring real advice from real travelers, TripAdvisor-branded sites cover more than one million destinations, hotels, restaurants and attractions and operate in the U.S. (http://www.tripadvisor.com), the U.K. (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk), Ireland (http://www.tripadvisor.ie), France (http://www.tripadvisor.fr), Germany (http://www.tripadvisor.de), Italy (http://www.tripadvisor.it), Spain (http://www.tripadvisor.es), India (http://www.tripadvisor.in), Japan (http://www.tripadvisor.jp), Portugal and Brazil (http://www.tripadvisor.com.br), Sweden (http://www.tripadvisor.se), The Netherlands (http://nl.tripadvisor.com), Canada (http://www.tripadvisor.ca), Denmark (http://www.tripadvisor.dk), Turkey (http://www.tripadvisor.com.tr), Mexico (http://www.tripadvisor.com.mx), Norway (http://no.tripadvisor.com), Poland (http://pl.tripadvisor.com) and Australia (http://www.tripadvisor.com.au). TripAdvisor also operates in China under the brand daodao.com (http://www.daodao.com). TripAdvisor® Media Network provides travel suppliers with graphical advertising opportunities and a cost-per-click marketing platform. Collectively, the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Network have won hundreds of awards and accolades from press and industry worldwide. TripAdvisor and the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Network are operating companies of Expedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPE).

TripAdvisor, TripAdvisor.com, and the TripAdvisor logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TripAdvisor LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.

©2010 TripAdvisor LLC. All rights reserved.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix, Worldwide, March 2010

SOURCE TripAdvisor LLC