Rise and Fall of TripAdvisor: The Lack of Participation and Its Causes

Abstract

AbstractTripAdvisor's remarkable growth since its launch is undeniable, with over 859 million reviews covering 8.6 million businesses by 2023. However, recent years have seen a noticeable stagnation, if not a decline, raising pertinent questions from both a business and academic perspective about its future as a key player in the tourism industry. Our research, launched in 2016, tracks monthly reviews of restaurants and hotels on TripAdvisor and Booking. It covers global destinations. It focuses on four well-known tourist hubs - Madrid, London, Paris and Rome - and covers the period from 2016 to 2022. The results show an initial phase (2017–2019) with a decrease in the annual growth rate of reviews in all destinations. The subsequent phase (2020–2021), influenced by pandemic-induced inactivity, showed minimal annual variation. The third phase shows a slight recovery, but no destination has exceeded a year-on-year variation of 4%. To counter this downward trend, TripAdvisor needs to implement innovative strategies and adapt its business model and user interaction processes. Such proactive measures are essential to overcome current challenges, ensure its relevance and maintain a pivotal role in the evolving tourism industry.