{"id":935,"date":"2015-10-03T13:18:32","date_gmt":"2015-10-03T17:18:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-digit\/submission\/tripadvisor-a-network-for-vacation-bliss\/"},"modified":"2015-10-03T22:49:53","modified_gmt":"2015-10-04T02:49:53","slug":"tripadvisor-a-network-for-vacation-bliss","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/submission\/tripadvisor-a-network-for-vacation-bliss\/","title":{"rendered":"TripAdvisor: A Network for Vacation Bliss"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Creating the perfect vacation getaway? My guess is you have used TripAdvisor at some point in your travel planning process whether you are looking to determine destination, hotels to book, places to see, places to eat, etc. The vast collection of customer reviews on the site has become an extremely valuable asset for the platform\u2019s growth and its claim to being the world\u2019s largest travel site.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is it?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>TripAdvisor collects travelers\u2019 reviews, photos and opinions on a variety of topics including destinations, activities, restaurants, and accommodations. This content has become a trusted source of advice for other users who are looking to create their own travel<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-931 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/10\/timeline-300x62.png\" alt=\"timeline\" width=\"425\" height=\"84\" \/> experience. Over the years, the platform has the added the functionality to compare real-time pricing for hotels, flights, etc. and to also make direct bookings. Additionally, TripAdvisor has capitalized on the move to mobile by tailoring its app to conveniently provide recommendations and booking capabilities even when you are on vacation. Essentially, TripAdvisor has become a one-stop shop for all your vacation needs.<\/p>\n<p>As of 6\/30\/15, the site had 250mm reviews and opinions and 375mm monthly unique users. There are localized versions of the TripAdvisor website in 45 counties and in 28 languages allowing the company to have a broad reach across the globe.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Value Cr<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-932 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/10\/valuecreate-300x200.png\" alt=\"valuecreate\" width=\"416\" height=\"291\" \/>eation<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The user-generated content has become a trusted source of advice for other users who are looking for travel recommendations. By building such a large database globally, TripAdvisor allows users to find relevant information even about remote areas of the world. The site has also added the ability to sort user reviews by various data points including age, type of travel, etc. to help users quickly find relevant content.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Value Capture<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>TripAdvisor does not charge users a fee for using its platform. Instead, the company realizes value from third party companies and online travel agencies looking to advertise their flights, hotels, and restaurants to the millions of\u00a0users who frequent the site. Moreover, it allows these companies to achieve more targeted marketing based on the users\u2019 search profile on the platform. TripAdvisor primarily generates revenue from these sources through click-based advertising, display based advertising, subscription based advertising, and direct booking commission.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-934 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/10\/valuecapture-300x143.png\" alt=\"valuecapture\" width=\"438\" height=\"200\" \/>Network Effects<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We see <strong><em>direct network effects<\/em><\/strong> on the user side of the TripAdvisor platform. Similar to other platforms, a loyal and engaged user community drives strong network effects. As you increase the number of global users on the platform, other users derive more value from the site by being able to find relevant content including reviews, recommendations, and photos.<\/p>\n<p>There are <strong><em>indirect network effects<\/em><\/strong> between third party companies and TripAdvisor\u2019s large user base. Third party companies benefit from both a broad reach and more targeted marketing. For instance, a hotel in Dublin can show ads to users who are researching anything related to Dublin on TripAdvisor. Given that TripAdvisor has grown to become the world\u2019s largest travel site, the hotel in Dublin is likely to reach more people researching a Dublin vacation on TripAdvisor than any other site.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Creating a Closed Loop to<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-933 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/10\/acq-300x185.png\" alt=\"acq\" width=\"396\" height=\"260\" \/> Strengthen Network Effects<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>TripAdvisor has acquired a number of companies in the travel and leisure space to help strengthen its network effects. The Company has acquired these smaller players either to expand its reach to markets where it lacks strength or to add new technology and capabilities. By making itself a one-stop shop for vacations, from planning to booking to actually being on the trip, it seems difficult for a new player to directly compete with TripAdvisor. A competitor can try to compete on one area such as attraction recommendations and bookings, but given that their user base won\u2019t be as vast and strong as TripAdvisor\u2019s, I wonder if their end goal should simply be to get acquired by TripAdvisor?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TripAdvisor has started to dominate the online vacation ecosystem with its large user base and acquisitive business model.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":86,"featured_media":936,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[419],"class_list":["post-935","hck-submission","type-hck-submission","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-vacation-travel-onestopshop"],"connected_submission_link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/assignment\/competing-with-network-effects\/","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>TripAdvisor: A Network for Vacation Bliss - 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