Can Tripadvisor's Grand Strategy Experiment Set It Apart?

Online Travel This Week It's a major online travel conundrum: How do you differentiate your business when there is so much sameness and a blending of everything going around? And, in the case of Tripadvisor, this challenge becomes acute when Google's inroads in hotels primarily, and emerging footprint in experiences and restaurant reservations, are causing much pain. In this regard, it was somewhat shocking to hear Tripadvisor CEO Steve Kaufer, speaking at Skift Forum Asia last week, advise attendees that if someone is looking to book a 10-day packaged tour to the United States or a routine weekend stay not too far from home, then they can happily book elsewhere. “That’s not our audience," Kaufer said, referring to travelers looking to book run-of-the-mill packaged tours. "Our audience is someone who’s really looking to experience another country, almost the way locals might or any independent traveler would.” In other words, as Kaufer told it, Tripadvisor is going after travelers who want to book something special and memorable, and the aim is to cross-sell them to book their entire trips on Tripadvisor. Ove