Some US Airports Offer TripAdvisor Stores For All Your Last-Minute Travel Essentials
Vacation is calling and you've diligently read Samantha Brown's top tips for packing everything you need for a long vacation in a carry-on. After mastering the guide to packing light, you breeze through security without a hitch, make your way to your gate, grab a drink, and patiently wait to board. As you sit down, reach in your bag to grab your trusty neck pillow, you realize that you forgot it. Now what? Thankfully, more US airports are offering TripAdvisor stores for those essential travel items that travelers have forgotten to pack.
Trusted travel brand TripAdvisor, known for its heavily UGC (user generated content) review platform, is expanding their reach to airports around the globe. While there are certain items that are better to be bought rather than packed, travel essentials do vary from traveler to traveler. Some may think it's not necessary to pack certain toiletries, however others may have sensitive skin that requires their favorite products to come on vacation with them.
Many travelers, approximately a staggering 463 million travelers each month, rely on TripAdvisor to check real reviews, by real people. From restaurants, to tour experiences, and everything in between, readers trust online reviews presented by real-time travelers more than one would think. With the expansion of the TripAdvisor's airport stores within the US, it offers a one-shop-and-done place to grab most travel essentials that may have been left behind.
TripAdvisor takes off with in person stores in some US airports
What started off as the world's first TripAdvisor store in Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International Airport (YYZ), has quickly expanded into the US markets. When the Toronto location opened in 2017, according to retail giant Paradies Lagardère (via The Moodie Davitt Report), it was "already exceeding expectations and sales," which is easy to believe, since TripAdvisor is a trusted brand reaching 49 markets in 28 languages.
Focusing on selling travel-related products like toiletries, neck pillows, phone chargers, adapters, beverages, souvenirs, and TripAdvisor brand apparel, placing these shops in busy airport terminals is the perfect marketing tool. You'll now find the TripAdvisor shops in US airports, such as Indianapolis International Airport (IND) within the Civic Plaza, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) near Gate A11, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) near Gate A5, and Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) at Gate C16.
A TripAdvisor official tells PhocusWire that the travel accessory shops are located "in a place where there is a high volume of tourism traffic." What better place than an airport? As millions of travelers make their way through a bustling terminal each day in the US, there are those that are bound to have forgotten to pack essentials, or are looking for a quick snack while waiting for their flight.
Have everything you need for your trip? TripAdvisor shops offer more than toiletries and snacks
If you've packed everything that you need for your trip and aren't in the mood to spend extra money, you may still find something very useful at the TripAdvisor store that the brand is most famous for, which is helping travelers plan their best trip ever. Since the rise of culinary travel emerging as a travel trend, what better way to check out which restaurant to visit than using the interactive touchscreens at each store's location.
These interactive screens found at the TripAdvisor shop locations allow travelers to access information about local gems and give up-to-date information regarding costs, nearby hotels, attractions, and of course, the reviews to go with it. President and CEO Gregg Paradies of Paradies Lagardère states how this tool is to enhance the customer's airport experience by allowing "its airport and brand partners to create enhanced customer experiences and stay on the cutting edge of offering innovation and technology."
Having this unique concept store at your fingertips while walking around the airport is a gamechanger when it comes to traveling. With more shops opening across US airport terminals, it's only a matter of time until the TripAdvisor brand expands further. So, the next time you find yourself in an airport, but you forgot to grab a souvenir magnet for your bestie or forgot your travel adapter, make sure to stop at the TripAdvisor shop to grab your travel essentials.