A global tailor-made holidays brand and managed marketplace.
Overview
TravelLocal is a global tailor-made holidays brand and managed marketplace that receives bookings from clients worldwide.
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About TravelLocal
In 2023, Puma Private Equity deployed £3.5 million of equity into TravelLocal, a global travel marketplace that is revolutionising tailor-made holidays, by connecting its customers directly with handpicked, trusted local travel experts based in their destination.
TravelLocal is growing rapidly, as travellers demand genuinely authentic, more sustainable holidays and prioritise spending on experiences, with annual bookings over USD 50m and growing over 100% year on year.
Since the business was founded in 2016, TravelLocal has helped more than 70,000 customers create the perfect trip. The new additional funding will support the company’s international growth, including investment in its managed marketplace platform and further brand marketing.
This Series B funding round follows the highly successful merger in July 2021 of TravelLocal (UK) and Trip.me (Germany), both now fully integrated under the TravelLocal brand. TravelLocal has offices in Bristol and Berlin with colleagues also working remotely across the world.
The company’s view
“TravelLocal has performed very strongly again coming out of the pandemic as people travel extensively – and increasingly with a strong desire to do so in a more sustainable, meaningful way, that supports local people and economies. Our unique business model enables everyone to do just that. This funding round reflects the excellent growth opportunity we now have, and the first class team we have built to tackle it.”
Tom Stapleton, CEO, TraveLocal Our view
“Although incomes are being squeezed in the current environment, travel continues to be a priority expenditure for many and baby boomers are spending $120 billion annually on leisure travel. We believe there is huge scope for TravelLocal to grow and continue transforming the tailor-made holiday industry.
“We are really encouraged by the strength of the management team and the resilience of the business post its merger in 2021 which has significantly increased its global reach. This investment will enable the team to do more to engage with their target audience, in particular their expanding base of US clients.”
Mark Lyons, Investment Director, Puma Private Equity 
