Crypto-forward booking platform Travala.com announced Thursday it has integrated with Skyscanner to make booking with cryptocurrencies possible within the global travel marketplace.
“This collaboration with Travala.com underscores our commitment to offering diverse, cutting-edge solutions that cater to the evolving needs of travelers,” said Sanja Vukik, head of hotels at Skyscanner.
By combining Skyscanner’s search capabilities with Travala.com’s crypto-native platform, Vukik said Skyscanner aims to make travel planning more flexible and accessible to the travelers who have a preference for alternative payment options.
Travala.com, a PhocusWire Hot 25 Travel Startup for 2022, has an inventory of more than 2.2 million hotels that can be booked with more than 100 forms of cryptocurrency. That inventory is now accessible on Skyscanner platforms as part of the integration. It’s the first crypto-native platform Skyscanner has incorporated.
While 2017-founded Travala.com caters to cryptocurrencies, all hotel inventory on Skyscanner remains bookable with traditional currency too.
As a result of the integration, Travala.com will be discoverable among household name travel agencies, the company said, pointing to Expedia, Agoda and Booking.com. Travala.com will also benefit as new users are driven to its platform with Skyscanner’s 110 million monthly users.
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“Visibility is a crucial component of mass crypto adoption,” said Juan Otero, CEO of Travala.com. “By displaying Travala.com on one of the world’s most popular travel marketplaces in Skyscanner, we’re demonstrating the utility of crypto and showcasing it as an available option from the moment travelers make their very first search.”
When users decide to book a Travala.com hotel on Skyscanner, they will be redirected to Travala.com to finish the booking process. Travala.com and Skyscanner will also offer perks for users who opt to book with Travala.com including discounts, a Bitcoin incentive and other travel rewards tied to Web3
Travala.com has entered into other integration-focused partnerships too. In November, Travala.com integrated with metasearch giant Kayak. And its ventures go beyond hotels. In 2022, the company announced it would access airline content through the new distribution capability standard. It also launched an NFT rewards program in 2022.