NEEDHAM, Mass., Aug. 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Travel planning and booking site TripAdvisor® (www.tripadvisor.com) today announced that it has acquired New York-based Citymaps (https://citymaps.com/), a social mapping platform that enables tourists to discover countless hidden gems and hot spots, near and far, all around the world. The website and app make it easy for consumers to find points of interest, navigate urban destinations and share favorite locations with friends.

"The Citymaps team understands how people experience their day through a maps lens," said Adam Medros, senior vice president, global product, TripAdvisor. "We are excited to welcome the team to the TripAdvisor family of brands to help TripAdvisor ensure its mapping features best address the needs of its users who are increasingly accessing the site on mobile devices."

"Over the past several years, we have built a popular mapping app that delivers socially-powered inspiration and exploration for travelers," said Elliot Cohen, CEO and co-founder of Citymaps. "Given our shared focus on helping travelers plan and experience a great trip, we look forward to working with the TripAdvisor team."

The importance of online mapping technology is increasingly significant in consumer usage for everyday situations, including tourism. In 2015, TripAdvisor's "TripBarometer Connected Traveler Report" revealed that 81 percent of U.S. travelers use maps on their smartphones to find their way around¹.

TripAdvisor's existing mapping features currently help consumers find, book and experience the best things destinations have to offer and receive millions of views per day.

Citymaps will continue to be run as a standalone business. Terms of the acquisition will not be disclosed.

 ¹TripBarometer by TripAdvisor, "TripBarometer Connected Traveler" Report, June, 2015

About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor^® is the world's largest travel site*, enabling travelers to unleash the full potential of every trip. TripAdvisor offers advice from millions of travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools that check hundreds of websites to find the best hotel prices. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 350 million average monthly unique visitors**, and reached 385 million reviews and opinions covering 6.6 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 48 markets worldwide. TripAdvisor: Know better, Book better and Go better.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP), through its subsidiaries, manages and operates websites under 24 other travel media brands:
www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.citymaps.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com, www.iens.nl, www.besttables.com and www.dimmi.com.au), www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.housetrip.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.tripbod.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, www.viator.com, and www.virtualtourist.com.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, May 2016

**Source: TripAdvisor log files, Q2 2016

CONTACT:

Brian Hoyt
+1 781 800 5568
brhoyt@tripadvisor.com

Kevin Carter
+1 781 800 5237
kcarter@tripadvisor.com