Rather than simply being another metasearch tool used to research before booking off-site, the ability to book immediately means that the company now competes more directly with OTAs.
This also means that TripAdvisor can maintain control over the user experience throughout the purchase lifecycle rather than pushing customers off-site. More importantly than simply the ease-of-experience is the enhanced opportunity for incremental revenues via cross-merchandising by TripAdvisor and its partners.
In the announcement, TripAdvisor’s SVP of Global Product Adam Medros:
TripAdvisor is launching the instant booking feature to remove ‘friction’ from the mobile booking process and improve the customer experience on mobile by allowing travelers to make a reservation without leaving the TripAdvisor environment.
