Expedia Group Launches COVID-19 Advisor Tool to Track Global Travel Restrictions

ebookers, Expedia, Hotels.com, Orbitz, Travelocity, Vrbo, and Wotif adopt the latest technology to create a frictionless experience for travelers and support partners

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Expedia Group introduced the COVID-19 Travel Advisor, a tech-enabled tool that provides consumers with current details about travel restrictions worldwide. Powered by sherpa˚, the COVID-19 Travel Advisor is accessible across several Expedia Group consumer brands to simplify the experience for people seeking guidance in destinations they hope or plan to visit, such as quarantine and COVID-19 testing requirements. Expedia Group saw initial success in its pilot phase, with more than 1.6 million travelers using the COVID-19 Travel Advisor across brands since November 2020.

According to a recent Expedia Group Media Solutions study, travelers are turning to OTAs for trip planning nearly 25% more than pre-pandemic. In the month of March 2021, Expedia Group saw more than 1.7 million clicks on onsite travel advisories, signifying a 97% increase from the month prior. To rebuild traveler confidence in the wake of COVID-19, Expedia Group continues to scale solutions designed to communicate information about restrictions and safety measures, such as the COVID-19 Travel Advisor.

“Right now, many people are considering booking trips as the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues, but at the same time, they’re inundated with conflicting information about where and how they can safely travel,” said Stacey Symonds, Senior Director of Experience Insights, Expedia Group. “It can prove challenging to find these details from a reliable source, so we teamed up with sherpa˚ to seamlessly integrate a solution into our apps, websites, and customer communications. Our goal is to reduce friction for travelers during a time when they need extra support and empower them to make responsible decisions.”

The COVID-19 Advisor supports the entire traveler journey, whether customers are trying to decide where to travel or have already booked a trip. To align with traveler needs and preferences, each Expedia Group consumer brand incorporated the COVID-19 Travel Advisor at the following readily accessible locations:

• ebookers COVID-19 Travel Advisor
• Expedia COVID-19 Travel Advisor
• Hotels.com COVID-19 Travel Advisor
• Orbitz COVID-19 Travel Advisor
• Travelocity COVID-19 Travel Advisor
• Vrbo COVID-19 Travel Advisor
• Wotif COVID-19 Travel Advisor

“Travel is critical to our world economy and an important part of human connection,” said Max Tremaine, Co-Founder and CEO, sherpa˚. “Since the pandemic started, our focus has remained firmly on helping our travel partners restore consumer confidence and trust in travel. This partnership with Expedia Group exemplifies our shared goals and speaks to Expedia Group’s commitment to power global travel for everyone, everywhere.”

About Expedia Group `

Expedia Group, Inc. companies power travel for everyone, everywhere through our global platform. Driven by the core belief that travel is a force for good, we help people experience the world in new ways and build lasting connections. We provide industry-leading technology solutions to fuel partner growth and success, while facilitating memorable experiences for travelers. The Expedia Group family of brands includes: Expedia®, Hotels.com®, Expedia® Partner Solutions, Vrbo®, Egencia®, trivago®, Orbitz®, Travelocity®, Hotwire®, Wotif®, ebookers®, CheapTickets®, Expedia Group™ Media Solutions, Expedia Local Expert®, CarRentals.com™, and Expedia Cruises™.

© 2021 Expedia, Inc., an Expedia Group company. All rights reserved. Trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners. CST: 2029030-50