TripAdvisor Reaches 5 Million Unique Monthly Visitors Through Mobile Devices

Just one short year ago, TripAdvisor was in the testing phases of its mobile website. Now, one year and several app launches later, TripAdvisor has more than five million unique monthly visitors accessing its travel advice and content through their mobile devices. This includes traffic to our mobile website, as well as our free apps for the iPhone, Android, Nokia, and Palm smartphones, and the iPad.

Although the TripAdvisor iPad app was the latest to launch in December, it has already reached #1 in free travel apps for the iPad in 50 countries. It also features a cool map-based browsing experience, so you can really get the lay of the land in a destination before you leave for your trip.

For more information about TripAdvisor's mobile offerings, check out tripadvisor.com/mobile. Be sure to try them out when planning and taking your next vacation!

Tunisia sees significant lift in TripAdvisor traffic

Confidence Restored Following Foreign Office Advice

TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel website, today reveals that in the four days immediately following the Foreign Office’s travel advice change for Tunisia, the country saw a 19%* uplift in traffic compared to the four days before.

The Foreign Office lifted its warning against all non-essential travel to country last Friday 4^th February which has stimulated traveller interest in the region. This will come as welcome news to the Tunisian hospitality industry following a turbulent few months. Some tour operators, who have cancelled package holidays to Tunisia, are said to be reconsidering their stance with some flights expected to resume in early March.

“It is always important to check with the Foreign Office before travelling, but this is encouraging news for British travellers and tour operators, as well as the Tunisian travel industry,” comments Emma O’Boyle, TripAdvisor spokesperson.  “Tunisia is a popular holiday destination for Brits and UK visitors are clearly starting to consider Tunisia as a viable destination once again.”

*Data obtained by comparing Tunisia page views on www.TripAdvisor.co.uk from 30^th January-3^rd February 2011  against 4^th-8^th February 2011. Data identifies a 19% increase in share of page views on TripAdvisor.co.uk

For the full FCO travel advice on Tunisia see: ** http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/middle-east-north-africa/tunisia

Smoke-free Spain brings in the Brits

A new poll of over 3,000 travellers has revealed Spain could soon see a surge in British tourists. The country instituted a strict smoking ban on 2^nd January which caused nearly half* of Brits to say they are now more likely to consider Spain as a holiday destination this year.  The ban is one of the strictest in Europe and prohibits smoking in all bars and restaurants, in television broadcasts, in playgrounds and near hospitals.

The TripAdvisor poll revealed the smoking ban has made 33% of Brits “much more likely” to consider a holiday in Spain this year, while another 10% are “a little more likely”.  While many Brits welcome the change, a smoke-loving 15% are now “much less likely” to consider Spain this year.

This news, combined with the pound’s strength against the Euro, could be good news for Spain’s tourism industry.  “Spain, a traditional favourite for British travellers, has taken a hit in recent years due to the Euro’s climb against the pound. Now that the smoking ban has been so well received by Brits and the exchange rate is at its most favourable for years, Spain may see UK travellers visiting en masse again,” comments Emma O’Boyle, TripAdvisor spokesperson.

*Poll carried out on 3,201 TripAdvisor.co.uk users between 20^th and 27^th January 2011

Congratulations to the 2011 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Hotel Awards winners...

This week we unveiled the world’s and Britain’s best hotels, as decided by millions of TripAdvisor travellers, in the ninth annual TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Hotel awards.  The awards honour TripAdvisor travellers’ favourite hotels across a range of categories

British properties fared well in the awards – nearly 30 UK hotels were recognised across four categories, with one British property winning a ‘World’s Best’ accolade – The Old Manse in Scotland, was crowned the number B&B in the world.

The awards highlighted a number of key points about the British hotel industry.

The good:

Best of Britain 

For the second consecutive year, Rudding Park in Harrogate has earned the accolade of Britain’s best hotel.  TripAdvisor travellers regularly declare their love for the property, with one lauding the “impeccable service” while another calls it “practically perfect in every way”. The second best hotel in Britain this year is The Old Rectory in Exmoor, Devon and third place goes to Boskerris Hotel in St. Ives, Cornwall

South West Joy

The South West is another clear winner in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Hotel awards, claiming five of the top 10 UK hotels. Devon in particular should be very proud, with seven of Britain’s 25 best hotels located in the county.

B&B domination

The good old Bed & Breakfast is a UK institution and rightfully so: the Travellers’ Choice Awards revealed that six of the world’s ten best B&Bs are located in the UK.  The Old Manse in Invermoriston took top honours, while Saltcote Place in Rye, East Sussex; Riverside Hotel in the Lake District; Number One B&B in Deal, Kent; and The Twenty One in Brighton all contributed to the UK’s near domination in this global category.

The not-so-good:

Bank-breaking Britain

As VAT rises, train fares soar and the budget cuts take hold, budget-conscious travellers will be disappointed to hear that not a single British hotel made it into this year’s European ‘Bargain Hotels’ list, which was highly populated with Eastern European hotels. 

London left behind

With the 2012 Olympics on the horizon, the world’s eyes will soon be on London – a city conspicuous in its absence from the UK’s top 25 hotels.  This is the second consecutive year in which the capital failed to produce finalists in the top 25 UK hotels list. With only 18 months to go, it’s likely London’s hospitality industry will be working hard to make sure London performs as a world-class tourism destination next year.

What’s missing?

As well as a bargain hotels, Britain failed to produce finalists in a number of key areas, namely the categories of romance, luxury and relaxation/spa.  Britain has a long way to catch up with the likes of Prague, a city which had finalists in almost every European category and is home to both the best bargain and luxury hotels on the continent. 

For the full 2011 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Hotel Awards results, see here http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/TravelersChoice 

TripAdvisor adds airline ratings

TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, today announced the launch of airline ratings on TripAdvisor Flights.  The new feature allows travellers to give and receive candid feedback on their flying experiences through the new airline ratings tool.

TripAdvisor Flights now features the following eight airline rating categories that can be rated by travellers on a scale of one to five:

·         Baggage Handling

·         Check-in Experience

·         In-Flight Amenities

·         In-Flight Service

·         Punctuality

·         Reasonableness of Fees

·         Seat Comfort

·         Value

The new tool also shows the percentage of travellers who would recommend a particular airline, making comparisons between carriers quick and easy.  Travellers can also filter search results by minimum rating, as well as add airline ratings as their own, as long as they are signed in as a TripAdvisor member.

“For more than a decade, TripAdvisor has been the leader in enabling travellers to access and share trusted advice on hotels, restaurants, attractions and holiday rentals,” said Bryan Saltzburg, general manager of TripAdvisor Flights. “With the launch of airline ratings, the millions of travellers who use TripAdvisor Flights every month will now be able to get useful feedback on how airlines stack up against each other in terms of fees, value for the money, service, punctuality, baggage handling and a number of other factors to help ensure they have the best flight possible.”

For more information on the airline ratings tool, as well as details on our new baggage fee too, see http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/tripadvisor/42940/