Tripadvisor to cut 20% of staff amid internal restructuring

"Tripadvisor is making sweeping changes. The Needham-based travel review platform said Thursday it plans to cut 20% of its workforce as it merges operations between its Tripadvisor and Viator brands, aiming to simplify its structure and focus more heavily on travel experiences. In a company statement, Tripadvisor said it is realigning its operations to become an "experience-led and AI-enabled company." As part of this shift, the travel platform is combining its Tripadvisor and Viator divisions to focus more on user experience and to integrate artificial intelligence into its services, including plans to integrate its platforms into ChatGPT in the coming weeks."

"The reorganization includes an $85 million cost-savings program that will take place through the rest of this year and into 2027. This plan involves reducing the global workforce by about 20%, affecting employees and contractors across Tripadvisor, Viator, and corporate roles. Tripadvisor, a global company with the majority of its employees based outside the U.S., reported having approximately 2,860 full- and part-time workers as of Dec. 31, 2024. If that number still holds, the company will be laying off roughly 600 employees. It is not yet clear where the layoffs will happen."

""We will direct our focus, talent, and investment to what matters most, resulting in a simpler, leaner, and faster-moving organization," said Matt Goldberg, CEO of Tripadvisor, during the earnings call. The changes come after reports that activist investor Starboard Value, which holds a 9% stake in Tripadvisor, had been pushing for strategic adjustments, Reuters reports."

Tripadvisor announced a global reorganization that will reduce its workforce by about 20% and merge its Tripadvisor and Viator divisions to simplify operations and prioritize travel experiences. The company plans an $85 million cost-savings program extending through 2027 and aims to become an experience-led, AI-enabled company with integrations into services such as ChatGPT. The reductions will affect employees and contractors across Tripadvisor, Viator, and corporate roles; with roughly 2,860 employees reported at year-end 2024, the cuts could total about 600 positions. The move follows pressure from an activist investor seeking strategic changes.

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