Travel review and booking site TripAdvisor wants to become more social when it launches a new site and mobile experience later this year, enabling members to post photos and videos and get travel recommendations and inspiration from friends, brands and travel experts they follow.
Currently in beta format, the new-style TripAdvisor will look to expand its community beyond travellers leaving reviews to include publishers, such as National Geographic, as well as brands and social media influencers. Travellers will be able to follow and connect with individuals or content creators who share information that is relevant to their interests and travel plans.
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TripAdvisor said over 500 launch partners have signed up for the new website – currently in beta test – including the Travel Channel, Business Insider, GoPro, PopSugar, Daniel Food Diary, Have Halal Will Travel, Denise Keller and Melissa C Koh.
In addition to the many content creators joining the platform, TripAdvisor’s team of destination experts and TripAdvisor Media Group brands, including Smarter Travel, Cruise Critic and TheFork.com, will also contribute to the site experience through unique profiles and travel content.
TripAdvisor members will be able to create and view new forms of content including photos, videos and articles. Members will also have the ability to create “Trips,” which can be in-depth travel guides, itineraries or simple wish lists of things to do while traveling. Trips can be made private and saved for personal use or shared with the community to inspire and help others.
A “travel feed” will enable TripAdvisor members to discover more relevant information faster when planning travel. Assisted throughout the entire travel planning process, members can draw advice and inspiration from their friends, family and trusted experts.
When a member logs onto the TripAdvisor app or site, their homepage transforms into a personalised feed of information. When searching a particular destination, the feed automatically narrows the scope of the information displayed to that particular geographic location.
Stephen Kaufer, CEO & co-founder of TripAdvisor, said in a statement: “The new TripAdvisor is the one travel site that brings together social-assistive tools, amazing content and our existing booking capabilities to merge the joy of planning and discovery together into a single experience. We are assisting our members at each step of their journey as we become a more personalised, inspirational and useful TripAdvisor.”
