32 Top Tourism Startups Impacting The Industry in [2023]

Have you ever wondered who is on the list of Tourism Companies with the highest growth rates?

You’re not alone.

There are hundreds of Tourism Companies found there, and keeping track of the hottest new startups can be challenging.

But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are the top 32 fast-growing Tourism Startups that have top-tier venture capital funding.

What is Tourism Startups?

Tourism Startups are businesses that focus on the travel and tourism industry. They may include online travel agencies, booking services, marketing platforms, accommodation sites, and other services related to the travel and tourism industry. 

They can also focus on providing resources, services, and tools to help travelers plan and book their trips.

Top 32 Fastest-Growing Startups In Tourism

1) Medium

Medium is a social publishing platform that brings people together to share their thoughts and opinions on important topics.

Details of the startup:

• Country: United States
• City: San Francisco
• Started in: 2011
• Founders: Biz Stone, Jason Goldman
• Number of employees: 101-250
• Funding amount: $132,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 3
• Number of investors: 20

You can find their website here.

2) GetYourGuide

GetYourGuide is a website that allows you to schedule tours, sights, and activities all around the world.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Germany
• City: Berlin
• Started in: 2009
• Founders: Johannes Reck, Martin Sieber, Tao Tao, Tobias Rein
• Number of employees: 501-1000
• Funding amount: $886,168,933
• Number of funding rounds: 12
• Number of investors: 35

You can find their website here.

3) KLOOK

Klook is a booking platform for travel and leisure that connects passengers with experiences and attractions.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Hong Kong
• City: Central
• Started in: 2014
• Founders: Bernie Xiaokang Xiong, Eric Gnock Fah, Ethan Lin
• Number of employees: 1001-5000
• Funding amount: $721,500,000
• Number of funding rounds: 7
• Number of investors: 13

You can find their website here.

4) Vacasa

Vacasa is a vacation rental management company that specializes in assisting homeowners with the purchase, management, and sale of their holiday homes.

Details of the startup:

• Country: United States
• City: Portland
• Started in: 2009
• Founders: Cliff Johnson, Eric Breon
• Number of employees: 1001-5000
• Funding amount: $634,500,000
• Number of funding rounds: 6
• Number of investors: 5

You can find their website here.

5) ixigo

ixigo.com is an online travel site in India that makes all of your vacations easier.

Details of the startup:

• Country: India
• City: Gurgaon
• Started in: 2006
• Founders: Aloke Bajpai, Dharmendra Yashovardhan, Rajnish Kumar
• Number of employees: 101-250
• Funding amount: $35,500,000
• Number of funding rounds: 5
• Number of investors: 6

You can find their website here.

6) Tourlane

Tourlanea is an online planning and booking tool that assists tourists in researching and purchasing multi-day trips.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Germany
• City: Berlin
• Started in: 2016
• Founders: Julian Stiefel, Julian Weselek
• Number of employees: 251-500
• Funding amount: $101,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 5
• Number of investors: 10

You can find their website here.

7) Sherpa

Sherpa is a travel technology startup that helps businesses to include travel requirements into their offerings.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Canada
• City: Toronto
• Started in: 2015
• Founders: Ivan Sharko, Max Tremaine
• Number of employees: 11-50
• Funding amount: $11,013,612
• Number of funding rounds: 3
• Number of investors: 11

You can find their website here.

8) KKday

KKday is a global e-commerce travel company that links tourists with unique local experiences.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Taiwan
• City: Taipei
• Started in: 2014
• Founders: Ming Chen
• Number of employees: 251-500
• Funding amount: $107,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 6
• Number of investors: 12

You can find their website here.

9) Harvest Hosts

Harvest Hosts is a membership organization that invites self-contained RVers to stay for free overnight.

Details of the startup:

• Country: United States
• City: Vail
• Started in: 2010
• Founders: Don Greene, Kim Greene
• Number of employees: 1-10
• Funding amount: $37,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 1
• Number of investors: 1

You can find their website here.

10) AvantStay

AvantStay is a technology-driven hospitality firm that specializes on group travel experiences.

Details of the startup:

• Country: United States
• City: Los Angeles
• Started in: 2017
• Founders: Reuben Doetsch, Sean Breuner
• Number of employees: 101-250
• Funding amount: $26,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 3
• Number of investors: 11

You can find their website here.

11) Blacklane

Blacklane is a global chauffeur service that provides safe, environmentally friendly, and stress-free transportation.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Germany
• City: Berlin
• Started in: 2011
• Founders: Frank Steuer, Jens Wohltorf
• Number of employees: 251-500
• Funding amount: $102,967,714
• Number of funding rounds: 9
• Number of investors: 11

You can find their website here.

12) TravelTriangle

TravelTriangle allows travelers to book a customized vacation itinerary with a local travel agency.

Details of the startup:

• Country: India
• City: New Delhi
• Started in: 2011
• Founders: Prabhat Gupta, Sanchit Garg, Sankalp Agarwal
• Number of employees: 251-500
• Funding amount: $47,900,000
• Number of funding rounds: 7
• Number of investors: 10

You can find their website here.

13) BYHOURS

BYHOURS is the first hotel booking site for microstays.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Spain
• City: Barcelona
• Started in: 2012
• Founders: Christian Picard, Christian Rodriguez, Guillermo Gaspart, Hugo Palomar
• Number of employees: 11-50
• Funding amount: $18,473,397
• Number of funding rounds: 7
• Number of investors: 18

You can find their website here.

14) TourRadar

TourRadar is a website that allows you to compare and book multi-day trips in over 200 countries around the world.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Austria
• City: Vienna
• Started in: 2010
• Founders: Shawn Pittman, Travis Pittman
• Number of employees: 251-500
• Funding amount: $66,500,000
• Number of funding rounds: 5
• Number of investors: 14

You can find their website here.

15) Limehome

Limehome transforms commercial buildings into chic apart-hotels that are managed through their technology platform for business and leisure tourists.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Germany
• City: Munich
• Started in: 2018
• Founders: Josef Vollmayr, Lars Stabe
• Number of employees: 51-100
• Funding amount: € 36,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 3
• Number of investors: 4

You can find their website here.

16) Lambus

The All-In-One travel platform aims to bring all aspects of the travel experience together on a single platform.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Germany
• City: Osnabrück
• Started in: 2018
• Founders: Anja Niehoff, Hans Knöchel, Hendrik Scherer, Leon Braun, Niklas Kling, Torben Pretzel
• Number of employees: 11-50
• Funding amount: $690,000
• Number of funding rounds: 2
• Number of investors: 2

You can find their website here.

17) Tujia

Tujia is a website that allows people to book vacation rentals.

Details of the startup:

• Country: China
• City: Beijing
• Started in: 2011
• Founders: Luo Jun, Melissa Yang
• Number of employees: 1001-5000
• Funding amount: $755,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 5
• Number of investors: 12

You can find their website here.

18) RailYatri

RailYatri’s mission is to provide standardized and high-quality travel experiences in India.

Details of the startup:

• Country: India
• City: Noida
• Started in: 2014
• Founders: Kapil Raizada, Manish Rathi, Sachin Saxena
• Number of employees: 101-250
• Funding amount: $16,123,940
• Number of funding rounds: 7
• Number of investors: 7

You can find their website here.

19) Comtravo

Comtravo is a travel and tourism company that focuses on travel management, business travel, and online reservations.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Germany
• City: Berlin
• Started in: 2015
• Founders: Jannik Neumann, Michael Riegel, Simon Schmincke, Slobodan Utvic
• Number of employees: 101-250
• Funding amount: € 38,500,000
• Number of funding rounds: 4
• Number of investors: 14

You can find their website here.

20) Evaneos

Evaneos is a web platform that connects travelers with local agents to help them plan, estimate the cost, and book customized vacations.

Details of the startup:

• Country: France
• City: Paris
• Started in: 2009
• Founders: Eric La Bonnardiere, Yvan Wibaux
• Number of employees: 101-250
• Funding amount: $109,067,752
• Number of funding rounds: 6
• Number of investors: 7

You can find their website here.

21) Roadsurfer

Roadsurfer is a campervan rental company with more than 13 locations around Germany and in Paris.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Germany
• City: Munich
• Started in: 2017
• Number of employees: 101-250
• Funding amount: € 24,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 1
• Number of investors: 4

You can find their website here.

22) MyRealTrip

In South Korea, MyRealTrip is a prominent tours and activities startup.

Details of the startup:

• Country: South Korea
• City: Seoul
• Started in: 2012
• Founders: Donggun Lee, Minseo Baek
• Number of employees: 51-100
• Funding amount: $62,045,628
• Number of funding rounds: 8
• Number of investors: 12

You can find their website here.

23) HolidayMe

HolidayMe is an online site that provides clients in the Middle East with on-demand tailored vacation solutions.

Details of the startup:

• Country: United Arab Emirates
• City: Dubai
• Started in: 2013
• Founders: Digvijay Pratap, Geet Bhalla
• Number of employees: 51-100
• Funding amount: $39,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 7
• Number of investors: 9

You can find their website here.

24) Tripoto Travel Private Limited

The world’s largest travel community and marketplace platform is based in India.

Details of the startup:

• Country: India
• City: New Delhi
• Started in: 2013
• Founders: Anirudh Gupta, Michael Pargal Lyngdoh
• Number of employees: 101-250
• Funding amount: $8,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 6
• Number of investors: 15

You can find their website here.

25) Musement

Musement is a travel companion that lets you book tickets for activities and attractions in over 1000 destinations all over the world.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Italy
• City: Milan
• Started in: 2012
• Founders: Alessandro Petazzi, Claudio Bellinzona, Fabio Zecchini, Paolo Giulini
• Number of employees: 251-500
• Funding amount: $16,465,762
• Number of funding rounds: 4
• Number of investors: 4

You can find their website here.

26) IntrCity

In both metro and tier-2 cities, today’s tech-savvy Millennial consumers have grown up using Ola and Uber Apps for transportation and have a limited tolerance for substandard digital experiences. Consumers are wanting more convenience, cashless/contactless digital customer services, and a better on-ground experience, which can only be offered by connecting these through technology. Our technology enables smooth intercity travel using the only two true alternative modes of transportation: buses and trains. Our passengers can expect comfort, safety, and punctuality from IntrCity SmartBus. We achieve these objectives through well-defined quality standards, standardized bus configurations, and our own mobility technologies.

Details of the startup:

• Country: India
• City: Noida
• Started in: 2014
• Founders: Kapil Raizada, Manish Rathi
• Number of employees: 251-500
• Funding amount: $16,123,940
• Number of funding rounds: 7
• Number of investors: 7

You can find their website here.

27) Exoticca

Exoticca creates an internet platform to make booking vacation easier.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Spain
• City: Barcelona
• Started in: 2013
• Founders: Jesus Rodriguez Fernandez, Marti Guasch Mercade
• Number of employees: 51-100
• Funding amount: € 21,500,000
• Number of funding rounds: 5
• Number of investors: 13

You can find their website here.

28) Withlocals

Withlocals is a peer-to-peer marketplace where locals give travelers their experiences and services.

Details of the startup:

• Country: The Netherlands
• City: Eindhoven
• Started in: 2013
• Founders: Marijn Maas, Willem Maas
• Number of employees: 51-100
• Funding amount: $16,523,026
• Number of funding rounds: 4
• Number of investors: 4

You can find their website here.

29) MeTripping

MeTripping is a smart travel search engine that assists travel agents in making trip decisions while also addressing indecision and iteration.

Details of the startup:

• Country: India
• City: Bengaluru
• Started in: 2015
• Founders: Varun Gupta
• Number of employees: 11-50
• Funding amount: $850,000
• Number of funding rounds: 3
• Number of investors: 8

You can find their website here.

30) Happyeasygo Group

HappyEasyGo.com is a travel website.

Details of the startup:

• Country: India
• City: Haryana
• Started in: 2017
• Founders: Boris Zha
• Number of employees: 251-500
• Funding amount: $49,596,151
• Number of funding rounds: 4
• Number of investors: 14

You can find their website here.

31) Aviasales

Aviasales.ru is a website that allows you to look for airline tickets online.

Details of the startup:

• Country: Thailand
• City: Phuket
• Started in: 2007
• Founders: Konstantin Kalinov
• Number of employees: 251-500
• Funding amount: $10,000,000
• Number of funding rounds: 1
• Number of investors: 1

You can find their website here.

32) ADQ

ADQ is a holding corporation that owns a number of large businesses.

Details of the startup:

• Country: United Arab Emirates
• City: Abu Dhabi
• Started in: 2018

You can find their website here.

FAQs

Is Tourism Business Profitable?

Yes, tourism business can be profitable, depending on the location, type of business, and other factors. Many tourism businesses require significant upfront investments in infrastructure, staff, and marketing, but can be highly profitable if managed correctly. 

Businesses like tour operators, accommodations, restaurants, and attractions can all benefit from the increasing number of people who are travelling and looking for unique experiences.

What Is The Average Investment In Tourism?

The average investment in tourism startups varies greatly depending on the size and scope of the startup. Generally, however, investments range from $500,000 to $1 million. Some larger projects may require millions in investment.