TripAdvisor has begun trading as an independent public company on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the ticker symbol TRIP, following the completion of its spin-off from Expedia.

Since being founded in February 2000, TripAdvisor has revolutionised the travel industry and with more than 50 million unique monthly visitors and 20 million members.

The new company has also recently been added to the S&P 500.

TripAdvisor established itself as a definitive go-to resource for travellers seeking to plan and have a trip.

TripAdvisor offers travellers more than 50 million reviews and opinions of accommodations, destinations, restaurants and attractions, contributed by members from 188 countries, or 96 percent of all countries around the world.

As a perpetual innovator and a truly global player, TripAdvisor features sites in 30 countries and in 21 languages and more than one million businesses globally on the site.

TripAdvisor also offers an award-winning flight meta-search engine and vacation rental listings.

In addition, TripAdvisor delivers accessible and invaluable travel information to those on the go, though a suite of mobile apps for the iPhone, Android, Nokia, Palm and Windows Phone 7 smartphones and the iPad.

TripAdvisor also operates TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to TripAdvisor’s millions of monthly visitors through its business listings offering.

“This is a truly exciting time for TripAdvisor, and we are eager to continue to innovate on behalf of our users and grow the business as we enter this next chapter,” said Stephen Kaufer, co-founder and chief executive of TripAdvisor.

“TripAdvisor’s spin-off and membership in the S&P 500 both represent major company milestones, and is also a testament to our community and the value of user generated content.”