TripAdvisor acquires VirtualTourist.com

July 02, 2008 | Online Travel

TripAdvisor has acquired VirtualTourist.com, a pioneer in user-generated travel content since 1999, and OneTime.com, a travel booking comparison site.

Including VirtualTourist and OneTime, the TripAdvisor Media Network now attracts nearly 32 million unique monthly visitors.

“VirtualTourist pioneered the concept of an online travel community, and with the help of over a million enthusiastic members, has created a fantastic travel site,” said Steve Kaufer, founder and CEO of TripAdvisor. “I’m thrilled to have such great companies join our media network, and I look forward to working with the teams to help grow the sites and the community.”

“With the addition of VirtualTourist and OneTime, TripAdvisor Media Network is now the undisputed leader in the travel media space and we are excited to be a part of it. By combining efforts we hope to accelerate growth and provide our members and users with an even better online experience,” said J.R. Johnson, founder and chairman of VirtualTourist and OneTime. “We are incredibly proud of what we’ve built and how we’ve been able to serve travelers for nearly a decade. Now, with this new partnership, we can look forward to serving our travelers even better and ensuring ever greater success long into the future.”

VirtualTourist and OneTime, both based in Manhattan Beach, Calif., generate revenue through online advertising and both operate profitably. Specific terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. There are no plans for integration of the businesses or the Web domains.

VirtualTourist General Manager Giampiero Ambrosi and OneTime General Manager Dena Yahya will continue to run the businesses, respectively, reporting to Steve Kaufer. The employees of VirtualTourist and OneTime will remain based in Manhattan Beach.

VirtualTourist
VirtualTourist.com is one of the largest online travel communities in the world and a premier resource for travelers seeking an insider perspective on travel information, from Las Vegas hotels to New York City restaurants. At Virtualtourist.com, real people share real advice on places they’ve traveled as well as their hometowns; they research and plan trips, and they interact with other avid travelers via forums and email; VirtualTourist boasts more than 1.6 million travel reviews and 3 million photos on more than 58,000 destinations worldwide. Unbiased, user-generated content on Hotels, Attractions, Local Customs, Tourist Traps and much more is posted entirely by VirtualTourist’s more than 1 million registered members from over 220 countries and territories, and the site’s Trip Planner feature allows users to create custom print-and-go travel guides. Among VirtualTourist’s awards and accolades: “Sites that Changed Our World,” The Guardian; “Favorite Website,” Newsweek; “35 Best Travel Sites,” Travel & Leisure.

OneTime
OneTime, is a leading travel comparison website, where users compare prices from more than 60 popular travel websites, direct suppliers, and metasearch engines each month. Online since April of 2004, OneTime helps consumers save time and money when booking travel. For travel partners, OneTime is an effective marketing platform for reaching the online booking audience.

Related Links: VirtualTourist.com, OneTime