Will TripAdvisor Be the Next Airbnb? It Seems to Be Trying
Skift Take
TripAdvisor, with its hotel and restaurant reviews, hotel bookings and tours and activities, is a much more well-rounded travel site than the younger Airbnb at this stage. Still, TripAdvisor has some Airbnb envy, and wants to take advantage of the sea changes in the global lodging industry.
While much of the attention in the past couple of weeks has revolved around TripAdvisor's emergence as a hotel booking site, the company's Flipkey unit has been quietly adding Airbnb-style room rentals to its existing portfolio of vacation rentals.
Commenting on the initiative, TripAdvisor spokesperson Laurel Greatrix tells Skift: "This is a very recent addition and it means that any homeowner, anywhere in the world, can now list their spare room for free through TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals (just as they can an entire property). Travelers will see spare rooms listed in their search results alongside other properties (houses, apartments, villas, condos, etc.) available in the area they’re looking at.
"TripAdvisor’s mission is to help travelers book and take the perfect trip. For a growing number, this means the opportunity to live like a local in their destination and stay in non-traditional, more affordable accommodation. As the world’s largest travel community, we’re excited to connect these travelers with the increasing number of homeowners who are sharing their homes, spare rooms and local knowledge with visitors from all over the world."
In HomeAway's second quarter earnings call August 4, CEO Brian Sharples pointed to TripAdvisor as having added room rentals to Flipkey's selections.
"It seems like TripAdvisor has changed their strategy several times in the past few years," Shar
