What better acquisition for a niche travel search engine company than a niche travel social network?Today SideStep announced that they have done just so with the acquisition of TripUp, a web community based around travel.

TripUp is a popular online destination chocked full of user generated travel blogs, photos, videos, maps, and reviews; somewhat similar to Yahoo’s TripPlanner. The integration of TripUp’s social and community features into SideStep.com will help both entities, giving SideStep a new marketing channel to loyal travelers and connect SideStep.com devoted users.

“The sheer number of people using community and social networks demonstrates that these sites are becoming a more important part of today’s digital lifestyle,” said Rob Solomon, president and CEO, SideStep, Inc. “This acquisition allows SideStep to quickly introduce millions of travelers to TripUp’s innovative features and furthers our goal of redefining the way people find and use relevant travel information.”