VirtualTourist offers ‘unbiased, user-generated content’ posted by 1m+ registered members from 220 countries. Set up in 1999, it currently offers 1.6m travel reviews and 3m photos covering 58,000 destinations worldwide.
OneTime, meanwhile, allows users to compare prices from more than 60 travel websites, direct suppliers and metasearch engines. The site went live in April 2004.
The acquisitions mean the 12-strong TripAdvisor Media Network, which also includes the eponymous review site together with airfarewatchdog.com, bookingbuddy.com, cruisecritic.com, holidaywatchdog.com, independenttraveler.com, seatguru.com, smartertravel.com, travel-library.com and travelpod.com, now attracts nearly 32m unique monthly visitors.
Commenting on the deal Steve Kaufer, TripAdvisor founder and chief executive, said: ‘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.’
JR Johnson, founder and chairman of VirtualTourist and OneTime, added: ‘By combining efforts we hope to accelerate growth and provide our members and users with an even better online experience.
‘We are incredibly proud of what we've built and how we've been able to serve travellers for nearly a decade. Now, with this new partnership, we can look forward to serving our travellers even better and ensuring ever greater success long into the future.’
Manhattan Beach, California-based VirtualTourist and OneTime, both of which are profitable, generate revenue through online advertising.
VirtualTourist general manager Giampiero Ambrosi and OneTime general manager Dena Yahya will continue to run the businesses, reporting to Kaufer.
There are no plans for integration of the businesses or their web domains.
See also:
Travellers influenced by podcasts/online video (21/05/08)
Organic growth and acquisitions lift TripAdvisor (09/04/08)
Sky adds Expedia/TripAdvisor content (29/01/08)
TUI signs up TripAdvisor for firstchoice.co.uk (29/11/07)