Regiondo, Checkfront, and Rezdy - three prominent players in the tours and activities reservations tech sector - have joined forces. Skift first reported the intended merger.
There are an estimated 200 reservation technology providers available in the tours and activities sector. Whether consolidation amongst key platforms will bring meaningful benefits for tour operators remains to be seen.
Eventually, Google's new Tickets feature may turn out to be one of the most important developments in a long time for the tours and activities sector. Google will certainly move to monetize the feature with paid ads, and it will ultimately expand to tours, and other products, too.
FareHarbor and Bokun act as if they're unstoppably on the way to becoming giants. But the market for booking systems for sightseeing and experience operators remains very much in flux.
China slowdown? Meituan rivalry? Naaah, Ctrip had a fab 2018. Domestic travel remains strong, but it is international travel growth that’s exciting. Now we know what drives its latest partnerships with TUI’s Musement and Rezdy.
Viator leads in online tours and activities, as Skift Research's new analysis shows, but being in first also puts a target on its back. Rivals are working hard to close the gap and the race is far from over.
It has been a big week for small players, as investors placed bets on startups in these sectors: tours-and-activities, ground transportation, Brazilian flight booking, and digital marketing.
Travel startups can be run like machines in their formative years, but they are learning that isn't enough. They have a long way to go to become more personable on social media.