NEEDHAM, Mass., Oct. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel platform*, today announced the launch of a new direct booking feature within the existing TripAdvisor Sponsored Placements product, giving business owners premium exposure to more booking-ready travelers and helping them increase direct bookings for their properties.

This new direct booking enhancement offers travelers a prominent link to book directly with the property. At the same time, it may help the business avoid costly commissions from online travel agencies (OTAs), which can be up to 25% of a booking.

"We hear frequently from hoteliers they need help solving their biggest booking challenges without breaking the bank," said Martin Verdon-Roe, vice president, B2B Hotels. "We have launched this new direct booking tool based on feedback from owners, and it's one of a number of things over the next several months we plan to offer hoteliers to better meet their needs."

Sponsored Placements, which first launched on TripAdvisor in 2017, appear on high-profile pages across TripAdvisor, including above search results and on nearby properties' listings. These ads put a property in front of potential guests looking for places to stay when the property matches the guest's search and has available rooms to book.

Great for travelers, great for businesses
A recent study from Ipsos Mori, in partnership with TripAdvisor¹, showed that 71% of travelers decided to book after reading TripAdvisor reviews.

A separate survey of TripAdvisor users, undergone in September, revealed that nearly half of travelers (41%) prefer to book directly with the hotel if given the opportunity, showing the benefits of a direct relationship with the property.

The new enhancement not only helps travelers book directly, but it also helps businesses thrive online. The direct booking enhancement joins many other TripAdvisor tools that helps accommodations grow their business, including free Management Center tools to manage their online reputation, Business Advantage to optimize their TripAdvisor listings and Sponsored Placements to increase the property's exposure to millions of high-intent travelers.

Jenn Edwards, Owner of Groveland Hotel, California, has already started using the new feature during beta testing: "Over the past eight years, we've seen that it's increasingly difficult to compete with the OTAs to drive bookings through our direct channels. This new Sponsored Placements feature allows us to increase our property's exposure and display our rates above those from the OTAs in the ads. This has allowed us to drive more guests to book direct while also cutting our acquisition costs for those bookings in half."

Accommodation owners who are interested in getting more direct bookings can find out more by visiting http://www.tripadvisor.com/AdsManager

About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP), the world's largest travel platform*, helps 490 million travelers each month** make every trip their best trip. Travelers across the globe use the TripAdvisor site and app to browse more than 795 million reviews and opinions of 8.4 million accommodations, restaurants, experiences, airlines and cruises. Whether planning or on a trip, travelers turn to TripAdvisor to compare low prices on hotels, flights and cruises, book popular tours and attractions, as well as reserve tables at great restaurants. TripAdvisor, the ultimate travel companion, is available in 49 markets and 28 languages.

The subsidiaries and affiliates of TripAdvisor, Inc. own and operate a portfolio of websites and businesses, including the following travel media brands: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bokun.io, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com, and www.restorando.com), www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.housetrip.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com and www.viator.com.

*Source: Jumpshot for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, April 2019
** Source: TripAdvisor internal log files, average monthly unique visitors in Q3 2018

¹The Power of Reviews project surveyed 23,292 TripAdvisor users across 12 markets (Australia, China, France, German-speaking, India, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States) between May and June 2019. The survey targeted users who had visited the site in the last 12 months. The sample is made up of TripAdvisor users who had opted into a survey panel and were invited to participate in the research via an email link directing them to an online survey platform. Ipsos MORI were involved in questionnaire design and data analysis. Results are weighted to represent the residency profile of TripAdvisor users across participating markets.

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SOURCE TripAdvisor

Kevin Carter, uspr@tripadvisor.com