Klook Celebrates 5th Anniversary and will Surpass 60 million Trip Bookings in 2019, Outlines Global Expansion Plan
- Klook sees over 30 million visitors every month
- Targets to double headcount in over 30 offices by 2020
- Announces plans to expand offerings for global rail network and 2020 global sporting event in Tokyo
HONG KONG, Sept. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Klook, a world-leading travel activities and services booking platform, marks its 5th anniversary today. As one of the fastest-growing companies in the travel industry, Klook has achieved numerous milestones while connecting travelers with local operators.
Klook currently offers over 100,000 things-to-do and services in more than 350 destinations through direct partnerships with local operators. Its comprehensive online booking offerings include attraction tickets, tours, local transportation, food and beverage, and unique experiences. Klook has continued its impressive growth over the last year and will surpass 60 million annual trip bookings in 2019. Klook also became the most-searched travel activities and services company globally on Google since October 2018.
"Since day one, Klook has envisioned to bring the world closer together by connecting travelers with the best of any destination," said Ethan Lin, Klook CEO and Co-Founder. "When we started the business five years ago, we faced a major roadblock due to the fragmentation of in-destination travel services. We've not only overcome the challenge but also transformed the sector in the process through innovative digital solutions, collaboration with local tourism authorities, championing talents who share our vision, and empowering operators for a healthier and more diverse local tourism ecosystem."
Continuing its momentum, Klook is pleased to unveil an ambitious global expansion plan. The company expects to expand its current workforce from 1,200 to over 2,500 in over 30 offices by the end of 2020 as well as grow its footprint worldwide by deepening its roots in Asia-Pacific and accelerating growth for European markets.
Increasing investments to better serve travelers' needs everywhere
Since launching in 2014, Klook has spearheaded Asia-Pacific's in-destination sector. Today, the company offers localized services in nine languages, supports 41 currencies, and multiple payment methods on its website and award-winning app.
Building on this strong foundation, Klook will continue to invest in Asia-Pacific which is the world's fastest-growing market for tourism. With the diverse needs of the region's travelers in mind, Klook plans to further its ability to provide customized things-to-do recommendations for travelers based on their search and booking behaviors.
With its first few European outposts already set up in 2019, Klook aims to better serve European travelers with multiple languages including French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, and German launching in the coming months.
"Asia-Pacific and Europe are both extremely diverse and inter-connected. Adopting a hyper-localized go-to-market strategy is the key to Klook's success in Asia," said COO and Co-Founder of Klook, Eric Gnock Fah. "As the pioneer of applying cutting-edge mobile-first technology to the in-destination sector, we hope to replicate our strong growth in Asia-Pacific and empower European travelers to discover, book and experience the best things to do anywhere, anytime."
Empowering tourism with technology and innovation for local operators
Klook is dedicated to the success of its local operators, offering various resources powered by internally developed technology. Klook plans to innovate and elevate the digitization of in-destination supply by optimizing its operational procedures from booking and redemption to post-experience reviews. It also aims to equip individual operators with connectivity to AI-powered voice assistants including Actions on Google.
In addition to its current engineering hub in Shenzhen, China, Klook will expand its innovation capabilities to Singapore, with a focus on adopting connectivity integration and data science in the immediate future. Drawing from the rich pool of tech talents in Southeast Asia, this dual-hub will allow Klook to glean more behavioral insights through data analytics to improve the experience for both customers and merchants.
Expanding travel services and things-to-do
As smooth and efficient transit is a key priority for modern travelers, Klook has introduced a standalone Rail interface with easy-to-use and mobile-friendly features. Integral to its expansion plans in the transit sector, Klook aims to launch point-to-point train tickets and sought-after passes for the world's major rail networks. Just last week, Klook launched China Rail on its platform, marking an important milestone for the company's ongoing efforts to digitize complex rail systems.
Japan is home to many of Klook's popular destinations such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto with comprehensive offerings. With the world-leading sporting event to be held in Tokyo in less than a year, Klook's multilingual booking platforms enable sporting fans traveling to Japan to discover and experience a plethora of activities during their stay. Klook has also collaborated with local Japanese operators to increase its roster of attractions and things to do outside of the Tokyo metropolitan area by 600% since 2016, adding enriching and immersive experiences such as day tours to nearby attractions and cities including Mt. Fuji, Hakone and Kamakura.
Infographic can be downloaded here: link
About Klook
Founded in 2014, Klook is a world-leading travel activities and services booking platform. Klook empowers travelers around the world to discover, book and experience the best things to do anywhere, anytime. It provides a seamless way for travelers to explore popular attractions, tours, local transportation, food and beverage, and unique experiences around the world on Klook's website and award-winning app (consecutive Best of Year awarded by Google Play and Apple App Store). Each day, Klook's travelers indulge in their wanderlust and spontaneity through over 100,000 offerings in more than 350 destinations.
With a team of more than 1,200 across over 20 offices worldwide, Klook's services are available in nine languages, supporting 41 currencies. Get inspired by Klook at www.klook.com, the company blog or @Klook.
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