An Exclusive Interview with Daniel Pan, Chief of Staff, TripAdvisor China

— TripAdvisor：Help Travellers to Be Well Informed in Their Travels

Q：We have noticed that TripAdvisor’s logo is an owl, is there any specific meaning to its red and green eyes?

A：Travelers all over the world easily recognize the TripAdvisor owl logo. The TripAdvisor owl, whom we call ‘Ollie’, represents the “wisdom” of the millions of traveler reviews and opinions that are on TripAdvisor, which travelers can consult so they can better research and plan their travel and be confident about their travel decisions. Ollie's green and red eyes can empower users on where they should go, and conversely, where they may not want to, based on the reviews they read. Our Chinese name, which is also a play on the words “owl”and“journey”, was developed to build on the increasing brand recognition of the “Ollie” logo to help travelers understand that TripAdvisor provides good advice so they are well informed for their travels.

Q：How should travelers use TripAdvisor site or APP? i.e. how does TripAdvisor site or APP benefit its users?

A：TripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel site, with hotels, restaurants, attractions, activities and other places of interest in over 190 countries around the world.

As a global travel site, travelers around the world come to TripAdvisor to share their opinions and details about their unique experiences so other traveler scan TripAdvisor to find information about where they are looking to visit, both when they are searching for popular destinations but also when they want to find experiences that can take them off-the-beaten path. When they are on-the-go and on their trips, they can also use TripAdvisor APP to find great places to eat, things to see and activities they may way want to do – The millions of reviews and opinions on TripAdvisor can help travelers unleash the full potential of their trip.

In China, we have tailored the TripAdvisor Mao Tu Ying app to make it easier for the Chinese traveler to get information that can help them with their travel choices. We have thought about everything from how they navigate the app and view information to which popular destinations they can download information to prior to their travels to avoid data roaming costs. There are over 300 downloadable destinations they can put into their device to easily view reviews, photos and city maps offline.

We have also developed special PDF travel guides for Chinese travelers that sit inside our app, consolidating travel information for popular destinations, making it easy for them to go through top-rated things-to-do when they get there. Through structured travel blogs on TripAdvisor Mao Tu Ying, Chinese users have also shared some of their experiences and travel plans. We've also developed a feature that helping Chinese travelers reduce language obstacles and the anxiety associated with asking for directions when they are overseas and in a foreign country.

Q：Can you please introduce TripAdvisor Mao Tu Ying’s business model? How can Mao Tu Ying fulfill travelers’ needs?

A：TripAdvisor makes its money through click-based & transaction and display-based advertising and subscription opportunities that drive bookings. Our rich user-generated content helps millions of users easily compare prices, find great deals and book not only hotels, but also restaurants and attractions. The features we have developed specifically for Chinese travelers also helps reduce travel anxiety or difficulty for travel overseas, so Chinese travelers can have a more enjoyable trip overall.

Q：It is said that TripAdvisor has more than 300 million reviews, and how are these reviews differentiated with other travel sites? How can TripAdvisor accumulate so many valuable reviews? How can TripAdvisor ensure the reviews are from real travelers rather than business owners’ advertisement? How does TripAdvisor prevent business to submit fraud reviews?

A：Today, TripAdvisor has more than 500 million reviews and opinions from travelers around the globe which travelers refer to before making their travel decisions. These reviews and opinions empowers them with knowledge so they know more about the trip even before they book it.

We’ve been in the business for over 16 years and when it comes to fighting fraud, we are very pro-active and aggressive in our approach. Every single review goes through our tracking system, which maps the how, what, where and when of each review. This is backed up by a team of over 300 content specialists, who work 24 hours every day of the week to maintain the quality of our reviews. They investigate every review that is flagged for inspection by our system, and act on any reports we get from our community. They also conduct proactive investigations to catch would-be fraudsters, using techniques similar to those adopted in the credit card and banking sector. We also have strong penalties in place to deter them and because of these deterrents and the detection techniques we use, the amount of fraud attempted is extremely small.

Q：TripAdvisor claims that its reviews help travelers make better choice, and how the hotel and attraction rankings have been determined? Are they completed determinedby traveler’s reviews?

A：TripAdvisor has a Popularity Index which takes into account a number of factors, including the recency, quantity and quality of reviews. As such, the older a review is the less impact it will have on a property’s ranking.

Q：TripAdvisor has come to its 16th year with high popularity worldwide. It is the largest travel site in the world. Can you please share some experience for online tourism?

A：TripAdvisor was built on three key principles: to give travelers a voice, to promote transparency in the travel industry, and to level the playing field for businesses large and small. By staying true to these principles, we believe we have had a positive impact on the travel industry over the course of the last decade. We have helped democratize the industry and made it more transparent. We have helped to drive increasing service standards around the world. And we have given every business, no matter how small, the right to shine. Today, cultural shift with the Internet has given consumers a platform to share their voice and it is more important than ever that brands and businesses embrace these reviews and opinions as feedback they are getting, and to use this to improve.

Q：TripAdvisor Mao Tu Ying has collaborated with SinoMaps on a series of publications for oversea destinations, with TripAdvisor’s content and reviews incorporated. Can you please introduce the differences with other tourists maps and how can travelers benefit from this publication?

A：We have collaborated with Sinomaps to ensure that their new publication for overseas destinations will incorporate TripAdvisor Mao Tu Ying content. This means travelers who perhaps aren’t as familiar with using TripAdvisor online yet will also have access to rankings, review content and hospitality businesses that have been recognised with the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence. Travelers are able to access and use the TripAdvisor mobile app when they swipe a barcode when browsing the printed map, discovering the most updated travel information for the specific city. No matter what stage of travel planning they are in, or when they are on-the-go on their trip, both the printed maps and TripAdvisor mobile app can be a valuable reference for travelers, enabling them to unleash the full potential of their trip and have a great time!

Q：TripAdvisor Mao Tu Ying has collaborated with DidiChuxing to help enhance mobility and travel offerings for users in the country. Can you please introduce how TripAdvisor would partner with Didi and how it can help travelers?

A：Our plan with DidiChuxing is to help enhance mobility and travel offerings for Chinese users. To start, we’ll work together to build designated Didi stations at up to 100 hotels earmarked by us – this will be guided by TripAdvisor ratings, of course – to provide simple car-hailing access to travellers within China. The partnership with Didi is aimed at building a full service ecosystem of services for users, so travelers are not just able to research, plan and manage that they want to do, but also more easily get from one place to another when they are on the go.

Q：How can WTCF help TripAdvisor Mao Tu Ying in its future development?

A：TripAdvisor is honored to be a WTCF member and to contribute to WTCF’s mission to “Better City Life through Tourism”. TripAdvisor is committed to improving travel for Chinese travelers who want to go overseas and explore the world. We believe travel can facilitate positive cultural exchange and communication between countries, as well as drive economic growth. We look forward to working with WTCF to identify further opportunities in travel so we can continue doing great things for the Chinese traveler whilst having a positive impact on the industry.

(Photo Resources: Tripadvisor)