US-based global travel technology firm TWAI announced its acquisition of social travel platform and B2C tour marketplace Travello on Thursday, 26th June.
The acquisition positions TWAI to capitalize on this momentum by enhancing its direct-to-consumer reach, expanding business-to-business partner integrations, and unlocking new monetisation channels across the global travel experience economy.
This also marks yet another milestone in TWAI’s growth, as it puts the company in a leadership position in the high-growth experiential travel sector throughout the Americas, the Asia-Pacific, and Europe.
At the same time, acquiring Travello further diversifies TWAI's portfolio, enabling it to boost its position in consumer-facing innovation, global distribution, and experiential retailing.
TWAI and Travello are slated to launch joint solutions to bring curated experiences to airlines, OTAs, and loyalty platforms worldwide throughout the next several months.
These include enhanced personalisation features, as well as expanded reseller APIs to be rolled out in phases in several pilot markets in ANZ, North America, and Southeast Asia.
Built on key priorities
TWAI co-founder and chief operating officer Moondeep Aggarwal said of the deal: "Entering the tours and activities market has been a key strategic priority for TWAI, and Travello brings a top-tier community, proven demand, and robust distribution infrastructure, all of which perfectly align with our vision to become a global travel technology powerhouse."
For his part, Travello founder and chief executive Ryan Hanly remarked: "We have always had global ambitions and TWAI allows us to scale our tours and activities marketplace to a global audience, while also supporting our ambitions to be the industry leader in social commerce through Travello."
Travello chief operating officer Josh Wicks added: "With TWAI's global infrastructure and scale, we're excited to bring their suite of B2B travel solutions to the Australian and New Zealand market and look forward to working with industry partners in new and innovative ways. At the same time, we'll continue to build on Travello's leadership in social commerce, connecting a global community of travellers with curated experiences in more meaningful, data-driven ways."
A dynamic asset
Based in Australia, Travello is considered one of the world's most dynamic travel communities and a powerful social commerce marketplace for travel experiences.
They operate a multi-layered platform including a globally ranked social travel app, a content-rich tours and activities marketplace, and a white-label B2B engine used by OTAs, DMOs, and affiliates worldwide.
Travello also integrates with leading reservation systems such as Rezdy and FareHarbor.
With its catalogue of over 40,000 curated tours and activities across six continents, Travello combines social networking and commerce in a way few travel platforms have achieved.
Following the deal, Travello’s booking infrastructure will be integrated into TWAI's existing suite of APIs and payment orchestration platforms, providing end-to-end solutions for airlines, OTAs, loyalty programs, and tour providers.
The Travello difference
What truly sets Travello apart is its social-first approach which has allowed them to be the industry leader in the au courant aspect of social commerce.
Built around the idea that travel is better when shared, the Travello app allows users to connect with fellow travelers, share content, discover local deals, and participate in real-world meetups all while earning rewards which can be earned and burned within their platform.
This unique blend of community, commerce, and rewards enabled the platform to cultivate a highly engaged global user base of more than 1.2 million travellers across 180 countries.
Indeed, Travello consistently ranks among the top 10 travel apps in over 70 countries, a testament to its global resonance and intuitive user experience.
Travello's community-driven platform provides TWAI with a valuable first-party data layer, enabling more personalized offers, loyalty integration, and real-time experience merchandising.
Introducing Backpacker Deals
Adding to Travello's brand portfolio is Backpacker Deals, a trusted travel brand focused on affordable, authentic adventures across Australia and New Zealand.
Tailored for independent travelers and domestic explorers, Backpacker Deals offer travellers localised experiences that reflect regional culture and value.
Together, Travello and Backpacker Deals represent a rare combination: a travel tech platform that is both deeply social and highly transactional, trusted by consumers and partners alike.
