NEW YORK – Expedia Group is eliminating about 9 per cent of its workforce after announcing a leadership transition earlier in February, while the online travel company attempts to revive growth and regain market share.

The Seattle-based firm will cut about 1,500 jobs across the globe so that it can “invest in core strategic areas for growth”, a company spokesperson said in an e-mail.

“Given the recent completion of many significant technical milestones in Expedia Group’s transformation, the business continues to evaluate the appropriate allocation of resources to ensure the most important work continues to be prioritised,” the spokesperson added.

Some of the affected employees began receiving notices on Feb 26 about the job reductions, according to a regulatory filing.

The company employed 17,100 people in more than 50 countries as at the end of 2023, with about half working in technology roles, according to its latest annual report.

Earlier in February, Expedia reported disappointing holiday results and issued a weaker-than-expected outlook for the current quarter.

It also announced that Ms Ariane Gorin, the leader of its fast-growing enterprise division, will be taking over as chief executive officer on May 13, succeeding Mr Peter Kern, who has held the post since 2020.

The company and its online travel peers, such as Airbnb and Booking Holdings, are contending with moderating travel growth as pent-up demand from the post-pandemic period in 2023 appears to be running out of steam.

Expedia is prioritising boosting sales in 2024 after spending the past two years focusing on technical upgrades and a long-awaited revamp of its loyalty programme.

While its consumer business has slowed to single-digit revenue growth in the past two quarters, Expedia’s enterprise division, which sells advertising and travel technology to corporate clients and powers travel booking websites for major brands like Walmart and American Express, has been contributing double-digit gains to the business. BLOOMBERG