🚀 EUROPE LEADS THE WAY IN TRAVELTECH Europe, long celebrated for its unparalleled cultural and geographic diversity, continues to shine as a global destination for tourism. Countries like France, Spain, Italy, and Greece attract millions of visitors annually, with France consistently topping the charts as the world’s most visited country But beyond the Eiffel Tower and the Colosseum, European tech companies are powering the travel industry When it comes to flight searches, Skyscanner, headquartered in Scotland, stands as a formidable player, competing with giants like Google Flights and Kayak. Another industry titan is Amadeus, a Spanish company less known to the general public but a major force in travel logistics, covering 82% of the world’s scheduled flights. With a €32 billion market cap and €5.4 billion in revenue, Amadeus’ reach and influence are staggering. Among its challengers is Belgium’s unicorn Lighthouse, an emerging star. On the accommodation side, Booking.com has cemented its place as a category leader, shaping how millions book their stays. Booking was acquired for a mere $135 million and has since grown into a $173 billion giant. trivago, another European success story, has become a household name for comparing hotel prices worldwide. Flix has disrupted long-distance bus travel and even acquired the iconic American brand Greyhound Lines, Inc. We don't have an Airbnb but we do have a long tail ecosystem of specialized platforms catering to every need like premium travel (Le Collectionist), cottages (Snaptrip), campers (Yescapa), cruises (Dreamlines GmbH), LGBTQ+ (misterb&b), boats (Click&Boat), adventures (TourRadar), swapping (HomeExchange), ship & aviation crews (C Teleport) etc. And my personal favourite? N'PY - Nouvelles Pyrénées, a French platform that stands out for integrating the entire ski holiday value chain—accommodation, ski lessons, equipment rental, and ski passes—into a seamless one-stop platform. This unique selling proposition creates a moat that even global players like Booking and Airbnb find hard to replicate. Bravo! Notably, TravelTech it is one of the few tech industries in Europe that is B2C oriented, with 63% of companies targeting end-users directly Europe boasts at least 10 TravelTech unicorns, including idealista, GetYourGuide, CarTrawler, Omio, TravelPerk, eDreams ODIGEO, Mews and more Innovation is thriving with scaleups offering bag-free travel, passenger's right to compensation, travel expenses reimbursement, personal travel AI agents etc. are reshaping the travel experience What makes Europe unique is its distributed model: instead of a single central hub, vibrant ecosystems flourish in more than 100 cities, from Lourdes and Cagliari to Oostkamp and Vilnius With its unique blend of established giants, innovative startups, worldclass travel destinations and, a commitment to making travel easier, Europe is poised to lead the way in the future of travel and hospitality (4/n) #EuropeanTech
John Lindsay
1d
Great summary Omar! Orchestration compelling travel experiences and simplifying the UX of the ordering experience that caters the broad spectrum of tastes, aspirations, budgets, cultural-dietary-health and age related needs is complex. It is ripe for disruption and innovation on so many levels. Lots of room and run way for more.
Great roundup of Europe's thriving #traveltech scene! 🌍 Managing crew travel might seem niche, but let’s face it—every (business) traveller would love to change or cancel their flights with just a couple of clicks. We’re not there just yet, but we’re working on it. For now, we’re focused on industries that need this #flexibility the most—like aviation, maritime and energy—where last-minute changes are part of the daily routine. Excited to see where European traveltech takes us next! 🚀