Expedia Group

Expedia Group started as a Microsoft research project called 'Project 95' in 1996, the brainchild of Rich Barton, who wanted to use the internet to simplify travel booking. The service launched as Expedia.com on October 22, 1996, and quickly grew. Microsoft spun it off as a public company in 1999. In 2003, IAC/InterActiveCorp acquired it, and after a split in 2005, Expedia became an independent company, later rebranded as Expedia Group in 2018 to reflect its expanding family of brands.

Today, Expedia Group owns a portfolio that includes the flagship Expedia, Hotels.com, Vrbo (formerly HomeAway), Orbitz, Travelocity, CheapTickets, Hotwire, and a majority stake in Trivago (until 2021). These brands cover everything from traditional hotel bookings to vacation rentals and metasearch. The company also runs Expedia Partner Solutions for B2B services and Egencia for corporate travel management. With headquarters in Seattle and major offices in Bellevue, London, Geneva, Austin, and San Francisco, Expedia Group operates in over 70 countries and supports more than 30 languages.

In 2023, the company reported $12.84 billion in revenue. Its market cap hovers around $18–20 billion. The workforce includes roughly 16,000 employees. Expedia Group competes primarily with Booking Holdings and Airbnb. The brand name itself is a portmanteau of 'exploration' and 'speed,' chosen by Barton to evoke quick, easy travel planning. The company's visual identity features a bright blue 'X' logo and an orange-and-blue color scheme.[edit]