Startups, Launches, Venture Capital Fundings in Travel Sector by Skift

How Mergers and Acquisitions Are Accelerating Innovation in Travel

Cambon Partners + Skift

The travel industry has witnessed a number of successful mergers and acquisitions of major brands over the last few years. However, the deals that are truly driving innovation in the space are those that involve forward-thinking startups.

14 hours ago

Home Rental Platform Le Collectionist Raises $10 Million: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Sean O'Neill, Skift

With this funding, Le Collectionist ramps up its marketing of luxury vacation rentals. But Airbnb and other tech and lodging brands may not let this profitable segment be siphoned off by this and other young startups for long.

1 day ago

Skift Podcast: How London is Powering a Travel Startup Cluster

London and Partners + Skift

Destinations can be doing a lot more to forge alliances between tourism and tech. London & Partners shows how.

1 day ago

Tour Operator Context Nets $5 Million in Funding for Its Task of Scaling

Sean O'Neill, Skift

Context is a scholarly tour business betting that digital marketing will let it replicate its model profitably worldwide. Other experiential tour businesses will watch with a skeptical (but hopeful) eye.

4 days ago

Package Vacation Platform GoFro Raises $10 Million: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Sean O'Neill, Skift

Startups in India and Turkey have benefited from investment by venture capital firms located outside those countries. That's a trend that's a mixed blessing.

2 weeks ago

Hotel-Tech Startup Alice Acquires Smaller Rival GoConcierge

Sean O'Neill, Skift

Expedia has famously grown by acquisition. Will Expedia-controlled Alice also try to do the same for its hospitality operations software business? If any concierges know, contact us. We'll tip well for answers.

2 weeks ago

India Hotel Network Treebo Raises $34 Million: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Sean O'Neill, Skift

Travel startups raised more than $72 million this week. The most promising of these is Treebo, which is banking on branded hotel networks as a niche in India.

3 weeks ago

Uber Asian Rival Grab Adds Toyota as Investor in $2.5 Billion Funding Round

Yoolim Lee, Bloomberg

New Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has many challenges to contend with, and one is Singapore-based ride-hailing company Grab.

3 weeks ago

Expedia Leads $26 Million Alice Investment in Hotel Tech Push

Sean O'Neill, Skift

Alice is now majority-owned by Expedia. That brings heft to its dream of becoming the largest data machine in hospitality for operations and guest service.

3 weeks ago

Vacation Rental Network RedAwning Attracts $40 Million Round: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Sean O'Neill, Skift

Among the latest travel companies to receive funding, RedAwning and WanderJaunt are applying aspects of hotel franchising to home renting. Other companies will likely pile onto these experiments.

1 month ago

FabHotels Secures $25 Million in a Goldman Sachs-Led Round: Travel Startup Funding This Week

Sean O'Neill, Skift

FabHotel's franchise model joins peers OYO and Treebo in a promising effort to tame the famously fractured budget segment in India by applying consistent standards of service and marketing.

2 months ago

The IRS May Crack Down on Airbnb and Uber Income and Unpaid Taxes

Ben Brody, Bloomberg

Hundreds of millions of dollars in taxable income go unreported every year by Airbnb hosts, Uber drivers, and similar sharing-economy workers. As the federal budget gets pressured, expect tax authorities to come calling.

2 months ago