New CEO Matt Goldberg leads his first earnings call for Tripadvisor: Travel Weekly

Tripadvisor delivered a 77% increase in revenue in the second quarter, nearly reaching parity with the same period pre-pandemic in 2019.

The Q2 earnings call on Thursday was Matt Goldberg’s first as CEO. He joined the company on July 1, succeeding co-founder Steve Kaufer.

“It’s an exciting time to join this iconic company given the travel environment over the last few years, the trajectory of recovery in the sector, the return of the leisure traveler and the potential to serve consumers in new and unique ways as they look to satisfy their growing demand to get out and experience the world,” Goldberg said on the call.

Goldberg isn’t a stranger to the travel industry. While he was most recently executive vice president of North America and global operations at The Trade Desk, a media buying platform, he was CEO of Lonely Planet from 2009 to 2013.

During the call, Goldberg said he was attracted to Tripadvisor because of its diverse portfolio and its culture and talent. He has spent the past month getting to know that talent.

“My excitement for the opportunity in front of us has only grown stronger, and I’m looking forward to rolling up my sleeves, engaging with our talent and charting a course for the future,” he said.

While Goldberg said it was too soon for him to set out a strategy for the company’s future, he did say Tripadvisor would look to keep the consumer at the center of all of its decisions to heighten engagement and monetization.

In the second quarter, Tripadvisor’s revenue was $417 million. CFO Ernst Teunissen attributed the 77% increase to the high growth rates of Viator and TheFork (revenue was up 240% and 257%, respectively), and continued recovery in Tripadvisor’s hotel business.

The company recorded net income of $31 million, improving on a net loss of $40 million in the second quarter of 2021.