Family Vacation Critic Named First Travel Web Site to Receive "Parent Tested Parent Approved" Seal of Approval

PENNINGTON, N.J., Jan. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Family Vacation Critic® (http://www.familyvacationcritic.com) has been awarded the Parent Tested Parent Approved (PTPA) Winner's Seal of Approval, and is the first-ever travel Web site to win the award. Family Vacation Critic joins the PTPA "Website Winners' Circle" alongside highly respected sites Amazon.com, Care.com, and Snapfish.com, among others.

Launched in 2009, Family Vacation Critic provides families with the information most useful in planning vacations, including family-friendly hotel listings and reviews, age-friendly attractions, hand-picked family vacation deals, and a wide variety of tips and suggestions for creating unforgettable vacations and lasting memories. The site is published by The Independent Traveler, Inc. which also publishes the influential cruise reviews site, Cruise Critic® (http://www.cruisecritic.com), and is a subsidiary of TripAdvisor, Inc.

PTPA Media has North America's largest volunteer parent testing community, with over 40,000 parents. Awards are based on feedback from independent parent volunteers who evaluate products according to merit and consumer experience - not on commercial considerations - and as a result, the PTPA Media™ Seal has quickly gained recognition as an international leader in certifying consumer products for quality, effectiveness and value.

According to Family Vacation Critic's executive editor Lissa Poirot, "We're thrilled to receive the PTPA Seal of Approval, and to receive such positive feedback from their team of parent testers. Our goal at Family Vacation Critic is to serve families with the best possible resources for planning family travels; to be recognized as a quality family Web site by PTPA is a true honor."

For more information on family-friendly destinations, deals and hotels, visit www.familyvacationcritic.com. Family Vacation Critic features reviews of family-friendly resorts and hotels, as well as family travel deals and destination guides for planning kid-friendly vacations. The site also provides a forum for swapping tips on all aspects of traveling with kids.

About Family Vacation Critic

Family Vacation Critic® is a comprehensive online travel resource for families that offers reviews of family hotels, resort and destinations. The site features vacation ideas, family travel tips and an online forum for family travelers. Family Vacation Critic was launched in June 2009 by The Independent Traveler, Inc., a subsidiary of TripAdvisor, Inc.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 18 other travel media brands, and together the sites attract more than 65 million unique monthly visitors*.  TripAdvisor's travel media brands include: www.tripadvisor.com, www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.travelpod.com, www.onetime.com, www.seatguru.com, www.sniqueaway.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.virtualtourist.com, and www.kuxun.cn.

Family Vacation Critic and The Independent Traveler are either trademarks or registered trademarks of TripAdvisor, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2012 The Independent Traveler, Inc. All rights reserved. 

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor and its subsidiaries, Worldwide, August 2011  

About PTPA Media Inc.

PTPA Media provides an objective framework for appraising and promoting new products designed to enrich family living. The company's mission is to marry innovative companies with discerning consumers, to improve consumer access to quality products and services for their families and homes.

Media Contact:
Aubrey Manzo - [email protected]
(609) 730-9155 ext. 274

SOURCE Family Vacation Critic