Why 2021 Is the Year of the Travel IPO
Photo Credit: Caryn Seidman-Becker, cofounder, chairman and CEO of Clear Secure, rings the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange alongside NYSE president Stacey Cunningham Wednesday morning (Photo Credit: NYSE) Flickr / Creative Commons / bryansjs
Skift Take
So far this year, a dozen travel companies went public or made plans to do so. A couple of them may shine. But the odds are stacked against this year's IPOs, on average, over the long term. Find out why.
More travel companies are on track to go public this year than in any other year in recent memory. The activity has surpassed most forecasts made during the pandemic, even accounting for how many travel companies said in January that they were considering initial public offerings, or (IPOs).
One factor amping up activity has been the sudden popularity of merging with blank check companies, also known as "special-purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs.
This year a dozen travel companies have already gone public or are expected to go public. That statement uses a classic definition of "travel," covering suppliers, such as airlines and vacation lodging providers — plus the tech vendors and aggregators that depend on the travel industry. Up to seven more travel companies may announce plans to go public before year-end.
Decisive historical statements are elusive, though. Analysts don't share a settled definition of "travel company." Some track more all-e
