Australia-based social travel platform Travello has been acquired by United States-based travel tech provider TWAI for an undisclosed amount.
Founded in 2014, Travello also provides a B2C marketplace for tours and activities and has a presence in over 180 countries. It takes a “social-first approach,” with its Travello app helping travelers connect with one another and earn rewards. The platform also ingrates reservation systems such as Rezdy and FareHarbor.
The acquisition is set to bolster TWAI’s strategic growth across different regions, including Asia Pacific, Europe and North and South America. The company said Travello also “further diversifies TWAI’s portfolio.” As part of the deal, Travello’s booking structure will be integrated into TWAI’s APIs and payment orchestration platforms.
“Entering the tours and activities market has been a key strategic priority for TWAI,” said TWAI co-founder and chief operating officer Moondeep Aggarwal.
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“Travello brings a top-tier community, proven demand and robust distribution infrastructure—all of which perfect align with our vision to become a global travel technology powerhouse.”
Travello founder and CEO Ryan Hanly said that company has maintained “global ambitions” and the acquisition will help Travello scale its tours and activity platform.
“With TWAI’s global infrastructure and scale, we’re excited to bring their suite of B2B travel solutions to the Australian and New Zealand market and look forward to working with industry partners in new and innovative ways,” said Josh Wicks, chief operating officer of Travello.
“At the same time, we’ll continue to build on Travello’s leadership in social commerce, connecting a global community of travelers with curated experiences in more meaningful, data-driven ways.”
The companies said they plan to launch joint solutions in phases in the coming months, including enhanced personalization features and expanded reseller APIs, providing “curated experiences to airlines, OTAs and loyalty platforms worldwide.” Pilot markets are in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), North America and South America.
Travello said it has “experienced rapid growth,” credited to post-COVID recovery and increasing demand for authentic local experiences.
In 2022, Travello raised £5.7 million in Series B funding and $5 million in Series A funding round the year before. In 2020, it acquired Australia-based Backpacker Deals, an online travel agency targeting the youth market in ANZ.