Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Basis of Presentation

v3.20.2
Basis of Presentation
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2020
Basis of Presentation  
Basis of Presentation

(1) Basis of Presentation

During October 2013, the Board of Directors of Liberty Interactive Corporation and its subsidiaries (“Liberty”) (subsequently renamed Qurate Retail, Inc. (“Qurate Retail”)) authorized a plan to distribute to the stockholders of Liberty’s then-outstanding Liberty Ventures common stock shares of a wholly-owned subsidiary, Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc. (“TripCo,” “Consolidated TripCo,” the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “us,” unless the context otherwise requires) (the “TripCo Spin-Off”). TripCo does not have any operations outside of its controlling interest in its subsidiary Tripadvisor, Inc. (“Tripadvisor”). Tripadvisor’s financial performance tends to be seasonally highest in the second and third quarters of a given year, which includes the seasonal peak in consumer demand, traveler hotel and rental stays, and travel activities and experiences taken, compared to the first and fourth quarters, which represent seasonal low points.

The accompanying (a) condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2019, which has been derived from audited financial statements, and (b) the interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X as promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results for such periods have been included. Additionally, certain prior period amounts have been reclassified for comparability with the current period presentation. The results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes for the year ended December 31, 2019 as presented in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The Company considers (i) recognition and recoverability of goodwill, intangible and long-lived assets and (ii) accounting for income taxes to be its most significant estimates. Some of the Company’s estimates and assumptions required increased judgment and carry a higher degree of variability and volatility as a result of COVID-19 (as defined below). As events continue to evolve and additional information becomes available, the Company’s estimates may change materially in future periods.

In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus (“COVID-19”) was reported in Wuhan, China. On January 30, 2020 the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to constitute a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” and subsequently, on March 11, 2020, declared COVID-19 to constitute a “Pandemic.” The Company is subject to risks and uncertainties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has caused material declines in demand within the travel, hospitality, restaurant and leisure industry. The pandemic’s proliferation, concurrent with travel bans, increased governmental restrictions and mandates globally, to limit the spread of the virus, has dampened consumer demand for Tripadvisor’s products and services, which has adversely and materially affected its business, results of operations and financial condition. Tripadvisor believes the travel industry and its business will continue to be adversely and materially affected while travel bans and other government restrictions and mandates continue to remain in place. However, the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its business remains highly uncertain and difficult to predict, as the response to the pandemic continues to be ongoing and shifting as information is rapidly evolving, and the duration and severity of the pandemic are also uncertain and cannot be predicted. In addition, Tripadvisor does not have visibility into when these bans will be lifted, where additional bans may be initiated or where bans that have been previously lifted are reinstated due to resurgence of the virus, nor does it have visibility into the changes to consumer usage patterns on its platform or travel behavior patterns when travel bans and other government restrictions and mandates are fully lifted.

Furthermore, capital markets and economies worldwide have also been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is possible that it could cause a protracted local and/or global economic recession. Such economic disruption could have a material adverse effect on Tripadvisor’s business as consumers reduce their discretionary spending. Policymakers around the globe have responded with fiscal policy actions to support certain areas of the travel industry and economy as a whole. The magnitude and overall effectiveness of these actions remains uncertain.

The Company's future results of operations and liquidity could also be adversely impacted by delays in payments of outstanding accounts receivable amounts beyond normal payment terms, travel supplier and restaurant insolvencies, and the impact of any initiatives or programs that Tripadvisor may undertake to address financial and operational challenges faced by Tripadvisor and its customers. As of the date of issuance of these condensed consolidated financial statements, the extent and duration to which the COVID-19 pandemic may materially impact the Company's financial condition, liquidity, or results of operations in the future continues to be uncertain.

In addition, due to the impact of COVID-19 to Tripadvisor’s business, Tripadvisor did not experience its typical seasonal pattern for revenue and profit during the three months ended June 30, 2020. In addition, cash outflows to travel suppliers related to deferred merchant payables significantly exceeded cash received from travelers during the first six months of 2020, reflecting the decline in consumer demand for Tripadvisor’s products and cancellations of reservations related to COVID-19, contributing significantly to unfavorable working capital trends and material negative operating cash flow during the six months ended June 30, 2020. It is difficult to forecast the seasonality for the upcoming quarters, given the uncertainty related to the extent and duration of the impact from COVID-19 and the shape and timing of a recovery.

On March 26, 2020, TripCo issued and sold 325,000 shares of TripCo’s newly-created 8% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) for a purchase price of $1,000 per share. See further discussion about the Series A Preferred Stock in note 7.

Spin-Off of TripCo from Qurate Retail  

Following the TripCo Spin-Off, Qurate Retail and TripCo operate as separate, publicly traded companies, and neither has any stock ownership, beneficial or otherwise, in the other. In connection with the TripCo Spin-Off, TripCo entered into certain agreements, including the services agreement, the facilities sharing agreement and the tax sharing agreement, with Qurate Retail and/or Liberty Media Corporation (“Liberty Media”) (or certain of their subsidiaries) in order to govern certain of the ongoing relationships between the companies after the TripCo Spin-Off and to provide for an orderly transition.

Pursuant to the services agreement (except as described below in respect to Gregory B. Maffei), Liberty Media provides TripCo with general and administrative services including legal, tax, accounting, treasury and investor relations support. TripCo reimburses Liberty Media for direct, out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Liberty Media in providing these services and TripCo pays a services fee to Liberty Media under the services agreement that is subject to adjustment semi-annually, as necessary.

In December 2019, TripCo entered into an amendment to the services agreement with Liberty Media in connection with Liberty Media’s entry into a new employment arrangement with Gregory B. Maffei, TripCo’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.  Under the amended services agreement, components of his compensation will either be paid directly to him by each of TripCo, Liberty Broadband Corporation, GCI Liberty, Inc. and Qurate Retail (collectively, the “Service Companies”) or reimbursed to Liberty Media, in each case, based on allocations among Liberty Media and the Service Companies set forth in the amended services agreement, currently set at 5% for the Company.

Under the facilities sharing agreement, TripCo shares office space with Liberty Media and related amenities at Liberty Media’s corporate headquarters in Englewood, Colorado.

The tax sharing agreement provides for the allocation and indemnification of tax liabilities and benefits between Qurate Retail and TripCo and other agreements related to tax matters.

Under these agreements, approximately $1 million was reimbursable to Liberty Media for both of the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, and approximately $2 million was reimbursable to Liberty Media for both of the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019.