Expedia was founded in 1996 by Microsoft as an internal project. It was intended to revolutionize the online travel industry by giving consumers the ability to book airline tickets, hotels, and other travel products directly online. The first office was opened in Redmond, Washington, where the company began as part of Microsoft’s push into e-commerce. In the early years, Expedia was best known for its platform for booking airline tickets and hotel rooms, but soon expanded into other travel products such as car rentals, vacation packages, and activities.

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