Irish startup TripAdmit raises €300,000 to boost tourism industry
Ticketing platform TripAdmit has raised €300,000 in seed funding to expand its solution aimed at tour and activity operators.
The startup was founded in 2019 and provides a digital ticketing platform that can integrate with tour and activity operators’ websites and enable them to sell online via their own website and third-party sites, according to the company. Consumers benefit by getting easy access to tours and activities and being able to skip the queue when booking through the platform, TripAdmit says.
John Maguire, CEO, TripAdmit: “The Irish tourism industry has been completely battered by the pandemic and there’s a big journey ahead to recovery. But we expect local tourism to return quickly, and with a great degree of enthusiasm from a community that has been cooped up for so long. This investment and expansion of our platform will help local operators, particularly in rural areas, maximise that opportunity and digitise for the modern traveller. Meanwhile, tourists will benefit from better access to tours and activities while holidaying.”
The seed funding round was led by US-based investor Thomas Jones.
TripAdmit has partnered with Campsited.com, a booking engine for camping holidays across Europe that was one of the first companies to use the TripAdmit platform to integrate local tours and activities for its users.
Thomas Jones, US investor: “This technology has the power to both modernise and stimulate Ireland’s tourism industry at a crucial time. TripAdmit’s founders and team have built a world-class platform and I look forward to working with the company during this next important chapter,” Jones stated.
A TripAdmit survey of 1,400 activity providers in Ireland and France found that 80 per cent do not have online booking facilities, particularly in rural and regional areas. TripAdmit says this needs to change for the industry to rebuild following the pandemic, pointing to Tourism Ireland’s recent forecast of an 80% decline in tourist numbers for 2020.
Maguire added that TripAdmit will provide its platform free of charge to a limited number of Irish tour operators to help them rebuild after the pandemic.
Interviews.
[Interview] Caroline Mutuku, General Manager, Glovo, Kenya
Caroline Mutuku is Kenya's General Manager of multi-category app Glovo. Caroline joined Glovo in December 2022 from Swvl Kenya where she also served as the General Manager from December 2021. In this interview...read more here
[Interview] Renate Swanepoel, COO, INC. Networking
Renate Swanepoel is an entrepreneur, global networker and inspirational speaker that has helped thousands of people around the world to find their purpose. She has gained significant networking and communication...read more here
[Interview] Anne-Marie Chidzero, Chief Investment Officer, FSD Africa
Anne-Marie Chidzero is the Chief Investment Officer at the Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSD Africa) Investments. In this interview, she talks about the risks and opportunities in backing Africa’s early-stage startups...read more here
[Interview] James Kilpatrick, Chair, Gravitilab, UK
Gravitilab is a "Space as a Service" business providing research, testing and qualification facilities to space agencies, government, academia and commercial enterprises. The company’s Chair and Chief Finance Officer...read more here
[Interview] Ramanjeet Singh, CEO, Woosper, USA
Woosper is a US-based digital advertising and marketing agency focused on creating experiences that help clients discover their place in the digital world. The CEO Ramanjeet Singh...read more here