INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Tiqets, a startup out of Amsterdam that has built a platform for booking tickets for museums and other attractions, has raised $60 million
in a Series C round led by the travel giant to expand its platform and wider business
Tiqets has sold millions of tickets in over 60 countries to date, it says.The investment also includes backing from previous investors
Investion and HPE Growth, and it brings the total raised by Tiqets to $100 million
number.This is, for now, a financial investment for Airbnb rather than a strategic one
In other words, the two companies have yet to work together, said Elzinga, although that is the hope longer term
Starting as a modest marketplace for people to offer spare rooms and sofas to travellers, Airbnb has become one of the outsized guard of
startups, raising $4.4 billion in venture funding, valued at $31 billion, and on the road to an IPO in 2020.While the vast majority of that
is itself extending the revenue it can make per user by building out the longer tail of services it offers to its users beyond booking
travel accommodation: current offerings include Experiences (in-city, one-day activities), Adventures (multi-day guided tours), and
Director Philippe Magid, in a statement
wider tourism and travel industry, museums and attractions revenues are estimated to be worth some $160 billion, with ticketing accounting
line up outside a venue for hours, others are opting to go online to buy in advance and use mobile tickets to speed up the process
a service to them so that they can meet the demands of more digitally-savvy visitors.Museums and other attractions are now gradually
cafes, and the ever-present gift shops, are some of their biggest revenue spinners, so offering tickets online reduces some of the friction
in getting people into venues, and into better moods, to spend more money later
Part of the reason for this is that so many of them continue to provide paper-based, kiosk-issued tickets, but also because of the rise of
the blockbuster, and the new awareness of public safety in crowded, high profile, iconic tourist spots
works more closely with Tiqets
Both are targeting what is a massive opportunity
Travel and tourism are some $8.8 trillion and will account for 10.4% of global GDP in 2019, according to one estimate.
