Family Holidays Take a hit as Parents Forced to Slash Budgets

Research Reveals Half of British Parents Take Kids out of School in Term-time

LONDON, May 16, 2011 - As half term approaches, new research from TripAdvisor, the
world's largest travel site, reveals more than half (53%) of British parents
are spending less on family holidays in 2011 compared to 2010, and almost
half (46%) admit they have broken the rules and taken their child on holiday
during term time to save money.

The TripAdvisor Family Holiday Survey, carried out on 2,000
parents across the UK*, reveals that government spending cuts are
significantly impacting family holiday spend this year.

"These findings will come as no surprise to all those parents
who are seriously considering sacrificing the family holiday altogether this
year. For many families, breaking the rules and taking their child out of
school to avoid peak holiday costs is regarded as the only way they can
afford a family holiday this year," commented Emma O'Boyle, TripAdvisor
spokesperson.

Half of British families slash holiday budgets in 2011

With government cuts taking hold, job security under threat
and taxes on the rise, the TripAdvisor Family Holiday Survey found:

- More than half (53%) of British parents will spend less on family
travel in 2011 than they did in 2010

- 44% of British parents claim the government spending cuts will directly
impact their travel plans in 2011

Rebellious Parents: Schools Fail To Penalise

Since 2004, schools and courts have had powers to issue
penalty notices of up to GBP2,500 to parents who take their children on
holiday during term-time**.The controversial topic looks set to heat up again
as the TripAdvisor study reveals that half (46%) of parents have taken this
route to avoid peak-time prices. Of these:

- 47% claimed the school turned a blind eye

- 46% said the school "wasn't happy", but still didn't
penalise

- Parents in the East Midlands are most rebellious - 62% have taken their
kids on holiday during term time, compared to the national average of 46%

- Only 7% of UK parents were fined for doing so - although
this rises to a more significant 17% in Scotland

Of the 54% of parents who have not yet taken their children
out of school in term time, more than a third (36%) said they would consider
doing so in the future.

Family Flying: A Frosty Reception

The subject of children on planes has been hotly debated
recently with calls from certain quarters for adults-only flights. According
to the TripAdvisor Family Survey, a quarter (24%) of parents who have flown
with children under the age of three claim to have experienced negative
reactions from fellow passengers.

Of the 44% of respondents who have not yet flown with their
young children, almost a quarter (22%) admit it's because they feel it would
be unfair on other passengers. Of those who have not flown with their
children:

- 27% claim it is unfair to their child (increasing to 47% in Wales)

- 21% say flying is too expensive with their child

- 32% prefer UK holidays with their child

London Parents More Self-interested And Strict on Holiday

The TripAdvisor Family Survey also reveals significant splits across the
UK when it comes to how parents approach family holidays. When questioned on
the importance of fun versus learning on holiday, London parents were by far
the most concerned about education - 29% admit they make their child learn
about the local culture or language on holiday, compared to the national
average of just 16%, falling to only 2% of parents in the East Midlands.

Nationally, a quarter (26%) of parents believe their own
preferences are more important on holiday, while 25% claim their child's
needs come first. Half of British parents (50%) try to strike a balance
between the two.

- London has the most self-interested parents - over a third (36%) admit
to prioritising their own preferences when choosing a family holiday

- At the other end of the scale, only 18% of parents in Northern Ireland
prioritise their own preferences over their child's

- 22% of London parents claim not to have changed their holiday choices
since having children - double the national average of 11%

"Financially, times are tough for families this year, and when
it comes to travel we're likely to see parents making savvy spending
decisions, rather than sacrificing the family holiday altogether. Parents
trying to save money should look to take advantage of early booking discounts
or, if there's a larger group, consider a holiday rental option instead."

*Survey taken on 8th February on 2,000 parents with
school-aged children from 5 to 16 years-old

** www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/YourChildsWelfareAtSchool/DG_066966

(Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste
this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove the
space if one exists.)

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor(R) is the world's largest travel site, enabling travelers to
plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real
travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features
(including Flights search, TripAdvisor Mobile and TripAdvisor Trip Friends)
with seamless links to booking tools.

TripAdvisor(R) Media Group, operated by TripAdvisor LLC, attracts more
than 50 million unique monthly visitors* across 18 popular travel brands**.
TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world,
with more than 40 million unique monthly visitors***, 20 million members, and
over 45 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 29 countries
worldwide****, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also operates
TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism
industry access to TripAdvisor's millions of monthly visitors. The division
includes Business Listings, which allows hoteliers to connect directly to
millions of researching travelers, and Vacation Rentals, which helps property
managers and individual home owners list their properties and showcase hotel
alternatives.

TripAdvisor Media Group websites have been recognized as top travel
resources in 2010 by Condé Nast Traveller, Good Housekeeping, TIME magazine
and Travel + Leisure.

TripAdvisor Media Group generated $486 million in revenue in 2010.
TripAdvisor and the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Group are
operating companies of Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE).

TripAdvisor logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TripAdvisor
LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company
names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.

(c)2011 TripAdvisor LLC. All rights reserved.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Media Group Sites,
Worldwide, August 2010

** In addition to TripAdvisor, The TripAdvisor Media Group of websites
includes: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com,
www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com,
www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com,
www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com,
www.independenttraveler.com, www.onetime.com,
www.seatguru.com, www.sniqueaway.com,
www.smartertravel.com, www.travel-library.com,
www.travelpod.com, www.virtualtourist.com and
www.kuxun.cn.

***Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, Worldwide, August
2010

**** TripAdvisor sites operate in 29 countries worldwide:
www.tripadvisor.com, www.tripadvisor.co.uk,
www.tripadvisor.ca, www.tripadvisor.it,
www.tripadvisor.es, www.tripadvisor.de,
www.tripadvisor.fr, www.tripadvisor.jp, www.daodao.com,
www.tripadvisor.in, www.tripadvisor.se,
www.tripadvisor.nl, www.tripadvisor.com.br,
www.tripadvisor.com.tr, www.tripadvisor.dk,
www.tripadvisor.com.mx, www.tripadvisor.ie,
www.tripadvisor.com.au, www.tripadvisor.com.sg,
www.tripadvisor.co.kr, no.tripadvisor.com, pl.tripadvisor.com,
th.tripadvisor.com, www.tripadvisor.ru, www.tripadvisor.com.gr,
www.tripadvisor.co.id, www.tripadvisor.com.ar,
www.tripadvisor.tw and www.tripadvisor.com.my.

Laurel Greatrix, 7 Soho Square, London W1D 3QB, Office: +44(0)777-801-3639