Tours & Activities

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PhocusWire's in-depth coverage of the tours, activities and activities sector is produced in partnership with Arival, the essential resource for the in-destination experiences industry.

Expedia unveils rebrand in major push to capture travel demand
News / Online
Expedia unveils rebrand in major push to capture travel demand
By Jill Menze | April 19, 2021
Expedia is debuting a new look and product offerings on its quest to become consumers’ "ultimate travel companion." Read More
bandwango-3m-seed-funding
News / Online
Bandwango raises $3M to build its activities platform for destinations
By Mitra Sorrells | April 14, 2021
Bandwango's Destination Experience Engine packages free and paid experiences that DMOs and other organizations can easily share with visitors. Read More
STARTUP STAGE: HiBnb helps travelers find cannabis-friendly accommodations and activities
Interview / Startups
STARTUP STAGE: HiBnb helps travelers find cannabis-friendly accommodations and activities
By Jill Menze | April 14, 2021
HiBnb is a marketplace dedicated to the growing cannabis community, providing accommodation and activity options to guests looking to explore with cannabis while traveling. Read More
Singapore-based Port gets pre-seed investment for "remote travel" concept
News / Startups
Singapore-based Port gets pre-seed investment for "remote travel" concept
By Mitra Sorrells | April 7, 2021
Port connects users with guides around the world who enable them to experience destinations and business events through video calls rather than being there in-person. Read More
Hornblower Group rebrands experiences portfolio, acquires tour operator Walks
News / Online
Hornblower Group rebrands experiences portfolio, acquires tour operator Walks
By Jill Menze | April 6, 2021
Hornblower Group is rebranding its water- and land-based portfolio as City Experiences and growing its offerings through the acquisition of tours and activities operator Walks. Read More
Eola activates €2.3M investment round for experiences tech
News / Startups
Eola activates €2.3M investment round for experiences tech
By Kevin May | April 6, 2021
The seed investment round was led by Pentech Ventures and supported by Techstars and other unnamed investors. Read More
startup-stage-ticknovate
Interview / Startups
STARTUP STAGE: Ticknovate is a new ticketing solution for attractions and ferries
By Mitra Sorrells | April 5, 2021
 Founded in March 2019, Ticknovate is a ticketing solution to handle complex inventories and is built for upselling and cross-selling. Read More
redeam-investment-12-million
News / Technology
Redeam plans to expand activities platform after $12M funding round
By Kevin May | April 1, 2021
The Series B round was led by Vertical Venture Partners and Thayer Ventures. Other existing backers participating in the investment include Peninsula Ventures and Cobre Capital, with Boulder... Read More
VIDEO: Tripadvisor on its big push to subscriptions and loyalty
News / Online
VIDEO: Tripadvisor on its big push to subscriptions and loyalty
By PhocusWire | March 30, 2021
Speaking during PhocusWire Pulse: Loyalty For The Long Haul, chief experience officer Lindsay Nelson explains why Tripadvisor's Plus program came together now, how the early stages have worked out with... Read More
JetBlue launches new travel site for customers to book hotels, car rentals
News / Online
JetBlue launches new travel site for customers to book hotels, car rentals
By Jill Menze | March 25, 2021
Called Paisly, JetBlue's new travel website lets consumers book hotels, car rentals and theme park tickets after they've purchased a flight. Read More
VIDEO: Why loyalty programs are still relevant
News / Online
VIDEO: Why loyalty programs are still relevant
By PhocusWire | March 25, 2021
Phocuswright analyst Mark Blutstein has carried out a study into what consumers think about loyalty programs and what type of rewards and engagement they want from their favorite brands. Read More
STARTUP STAGE: WePlan brings tech to travel team planning
Interview / Technology
STARTUP STAGE: WePlan brings tech to travel team planning
By Jill Menze | March 23, 2021
The Germany-based startup was founded by Franziska Burmester and Lana Jansen following successful careers in aviation consulting. Read More
Tripadvisor looks to raise $300M from convertible note offering
News / Online
Tripadvisor looks to raise $300M from convertible note offering
By Kevin May | March 22, 2021
The company says it intends to issue the notes via a private offering, with a due date of 2026. Read More
Travelzoo reports revenues halved during 2020
News / Online
Travelzoo reports revenues halved during 2020
By Kevin May | March 18, 2021
The company's 2020 earnings report released this week disclosed a decline from $105 million in 2019 to $53 million in the following pandemic-hit 12 months. Read More
Hostelworld sees revenue decline 81%, continues to bet on experiences
News / Online
Hostelworld sees revenue decline 81%, continues to bet on experiences
By Linda Fox | March 17, 2021
Hostelworld says improvements in marketing, user experience and inventory will help it emerge stronger from the pandemic. Read More
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