Miscellaneous Forum

Hey Folks. It's been crazy busy around here lately so I haven't been on the site much the last couple of days. However, I have some good news that I've wanted to share for the last day or two, but now it's official and I'm happy to finally be able to share it.

After lots of courtship and mutual admiration, VT is partnering up with TripAdvisor. We’re really happy because TripAdvisor has been a leading and pioneering travel site for a long time – they started at about the same time as VT by a few passionate people who are still running the show over there. We’ve known a lot of them for years. They're very happy to help VT grow stronger and continue to have success long into the future. As you might expect, they've been friendly rivals of ours too, but there's always been a sense of respect for how they've done so many things so well. They've had the same kind of feelings for VT as well. Talking with them, they've always admired the great community that we've all been a part of here, and they’ve really respected how VT has evolved into a cultural phenomenon around the world. It’s something that they genuinely value and appreciate.

ONE THING IS CLEAR – VT WILL NOT BE GOING ANY WHERE, AND NOT TOO MUCH WILL CHANGE. VT will continue to run its own ship, and Tripadvisor will help it however it can. Of course we’ll help Tripadvisor too. This has been the case with other acquisitions. The sites didn’t change that much – they simply got better, and were able to offer their members more and more of what they wanted. Likewise, VT won’t change much, except to improve various sections and to help make VT a better site for members and visitors alike.

The fact that we’ll be able to share what we each knows means that we’ll be able to things quicker and smarter, and we’ll actually be able to carry out so many of the features that we’ve all wanted for a long time. We may even get to borrow some cool new features. For sure, our hotels section will be a lot better than it is now! And, you won’t have to feel guilty if you’ve sneaked off to TripAdvisor to read hotel reviews. ;)

We’ll still be in Manhattan Beach, California. The same folks will still be working on VT, though J.R. and Tilman will probably move on to some new projects after this year, and probably get a little more sleep. We’ll still be having VT meetings, trips and all the rest. Your pages won’t change except as part of a design improvements and feature enhancements that we’ve already started making and that we’ll continue to make. We won’t be changing the logo, the address, the community, the meetings, or that much of anything else. Mostly we’ll get better performance and create better a better website.

You can still come have a drink with us at a VT meeting, can still send us postcards, or tell us about what you’d like to see on the site, or a great idea you have that you want to get the rest of the community behind. More than anything it means we’ll be making a better and better website for years to come!

We are all excited here at VT, and everyone we’ve talked with at TripAdvisor is really excited too. Along with our community, we are going to do great things together for a long time to come!

Happy Travels,

Giampiero
VT General Manager

This is exciting news and I'm thrilled to be the first to CONGRATULATE you all on this deal. Wow!! Look forward to site development and of course to normal VT life. The prospect of sturdy backing has great future stability. Sounds fantastic.
kind regards, kiwiPam :-))

Thanks...Stephanie, Courtney and I decided we were going to sleep all weekend after the hectic week ;)

Hahaha, sounds like a good idea :-) and it's a long weekend over there!!

Congrats, G! Thanks for moving to improve without changing the nature of VT. I love it the way it is and am always pleasantly surprised by the changes you guys make to improve it.

We're really happy - it just opens up so much potential for doing great things on VT!!!!

I also like to Congratulate VT Staff on this exiting new adventure .
Lori & I know about Tripadvisor and we do use that website now and then for Hotel reviews.
So I am excited about it and yes I do want to wish ALL VT staff a long 4th of July Holiday with LOTS of sleep .

Hansi

Thanks Hansi...it's really re-energized a lot of people here. It's going to be great!

Hansi looks pretty re-energized in his pport hahahah.
But yeah the future looks fun and exciting. Maybe even a VT meet in kiwiland one day!! :-))

Sounds like a good partnership!

We actually had some early fireworks here today ... not sure who ended up flushing things out - but many many people involved. The latest "trolls" thread pretty much sums it up. awwww!

Have a great 4th ... good day to announce the news!

M.

Fireworks all around. ;) I'm tired. I should go home and rest for a little bit ...Happy 4th!

So many websites let the trolls remain, but I love it on VT where they are removed and keep the place somewhat sane,friendly and polite :-)

please don't change the VT concept with your merger. i am happy for you in that it is a good business decision. i look at trip advisor frequently but i find their concept very informative but more sterile than VT. what i enjoy about the VT is the community not just the information. hopefully this site will not lose the "people" factor in the transition. congratulations on your merger. doug48

Hi Pam
I borrowed my latest PPP from LoriPori ,somehow she always seems to take my picture hugging some pretty lady .
This is JessH and I waited for a few years for that wonderful Hugg with Jessica
Pam I look forward to the day you and I will have a good hugg .
Back to the topic which is VT & TripAdvisor .

Hansi

Now I can admit when I use Trip Advisor for hotel information.

larry

LOL. Here's to VT and it's exciting future as a individual entity to TA, but to celebrate TA as family :-)

Congratulations on this business deal - and much like the others, I can now freely say that I use TA for hotel reviews quite often. I love VT and enjoy the concept of the community and tips, so please don't change!

VT has provided me with tips over the years to little known places that I never would have found with any other site - so I look forward to the expansion of VT!

I have a tripadvisor account under the same name (mccalpin)...does this mean that there will be TWO of me? ;-)

Bill

Hahaha - I think we all can admit we take a quick look at TripAdvisor now and again. But that's what it's all about...the CEO even admitted that it's a "get in" and "get out" site. We have a "relationship" site. Our community wants to share because they love people and cultures - and they want to take the time to get to know both so that their travels are really meaningful.

Each site has a different purpose - and can coexist together beautifully. We will never change our focus. Have no fear.

Great weekend to announce. Think of exciting things at VT every time a firework goes up.

:)))
S

Very good news, G.
Tripadvisor is a great website. I always consult it for hotels, in addition to VT, of course :-)
Jeannette

I can 100% assure you that there is absolutely no intention to change and that the specific wishes and desires of everybody at tripadvisor, from the founders at the top and down is to keep the great things about VT like the community, tips, camaraderie etc. If anything being able to improve somethings on VT like in the hotels section will make it even easier and more compelling to make the community stronger and stronger.

The biggest testament to the VT community and the admiration for it is that Tripadvisor has made a lot of effort towards fostering a community and constantly compliments us on how vibrant VT is. None of this will change.

You don't have to just take my word for it...you'll see and also that's been the history with any other sites that Tripadvisor has partnered with...If your concern is the community, then banish those thoughts cause we'll just keep doing more and more for it!

Tripadvisor gets us...they understand what's special about this place and they would like nothing more than to continue to foster that!...that's why we're here doing this...

And on a personal level, I have a lot of admiration for what they've done - they're really best in class, and their whole approach is to gather those best of the best together to make them even better than before...it's kind of a big compliment to be among those "best of"s...

I'll say it's a compliment, woohoo!! How fantastic.

Haha Hi Stephanie ,you & Gerry could NEVER give up on going to VT meetings .
Just like Lori & Hansi ,we are certainly addicted to VT meetings .
But to go to these VT meetings we need to stay in Hotels eh .
So any time it will become easier to look for and find good Hotels Lori & I will be Happy Campers (in Hotels ) .
Bring on T A thats what I say .

Hansi

Ohhh I forgot
Happy 4 th of July weekend to all who celebrate this great weekend .

Hansi

I am confident in VT staff to do what is best for VT. Then, why not? He who does not go ahead is going backwards and things have to evolve!

I knew the name of Tripadvisor but I have never used it. I have just made a quick testing to learn if it would have been useful in my latest travels. I am afraid I have not found much that would have helped me but I will try further. That cannot do any harm anyway!

Personally, I'm really excited about it! As a staff member, I can honestly say that TripAdvisor really seems to get it, and I think we all feel really good about VT maintaining what made it so great in the first place. It's certainly been an exciting week!
C

If TA links to us, then I reakon VT will see an increase in activity. So far everyone is positive and bubbling, and that is catching :-))

They are the experts in "providing advise" while we at VT are the virtuals.

I think is good.

Hey this is really great news! Congratulations to all!!

Congratulations!