Barcelona-based tour operator Exoticca is accelerating its international development after closing a €60 million Sequence D spherical (which interprets to roughly $89,733,235 in Canadian {dollars}) led by international funding platform Quadrille Capital.
The quantity consists of participation from new traders together with All Iron and ICF and present traders 14W, Mangrove, Bonsai, Sabadell and Aldea.
The funding comes as Exoticca advances an aggressive digitization technique.
“Multi-day tour packages, a sector worth over €100 billion, is one of the last segments of the travel industry still dominated by traditional tour operators with very low levels of digitization.,” reads a press launch issued Wednesday (July 24). “This prevents travel agencies from offering real-time pricing and availability for complex packages and, as a result, customers experience a cumbersome and time-consuming purchasing process.”
READ MORE: “This move is huge”: Exoticca promotes Diana Winters, grows gross sales staff in Ontario
Exoticca says its expertise connects all of the flight, lodge, meal, switch, transportation and actions required to ebook multi-day excursions, connecting native corporations in vacation spot with journey businesses and different on-line gamers.
By digitizing these points, Exoticca says it has “cut the process of booking complex long-haul trips down to just minutes and can guarantee its customers the best prices, bringing costs down by around 30 per cent compared to competitors.”
Exoticca additionally plans to leverage AI to enhance product providing, buyer expertise and increase its companions’ profitability.
Plans to open in new markets
The corporate says it’s centered on constructing “a leading global brand and opening in new markets, accelerating the adoption of the platform by both traditional travel agencies, as well as other online travel partners.”
“While the rest of the travel industry has become digitized, the multi-day tour space has remained stagnant, with customers stuck with inconsistent, time-consuming booking experiences,” stated Pere Vallès, CEO of Exoticca, in a press release. “Exoticca’s mission is to bring multi-day tour packages into the digital age, making dream trips accessible and affordable to everyone. The new funding will accelerate our vision and allow us to substantially increase our investment in technology, product and growth.”
Exoticca first launched in 2013 to serve the European market. It made its Canadian debut in 2019.
The corporate affords excursions, led by native guides, in practically 60 international locations. PAX just lately joined Canadian brokers in experiencing one in all Exoticca’s itineraries in Namibia, Africa. (Click on right here to examine our on-the-ground expertise).
For journey advisors, all of the parts of an Exoticca journey, which incorporates packaged flights, are commissionable.
Exoticca grows in Canada
The tour operator just lately restructured in Ontario, selling Diana Winters, beforehand Exoticca’s director of gross sales for jap Canada, to the position vice-president of gross sales for the province.
Winters’ new duties will contain managing a brand new Ontario staff (the corporate is hiring two BMDs) whereas working carefully with Mike Quinto, Exoticca’s managing director for Canada.
The Canadian gross sales staff additionally consists of Aerin Chauncey (who oversees Atlantic Canada), Maryanne Dubé (in Quebec), Sharon Wilson (masking Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) and Cindy Chau (in British Columbia).
READ MORE: Exoticca’s Fall Fling returns with extra prizes & surprises. Register now!
“Our growth as a company has been exponential and we need to react accordingly,” stated Winters in a current interview with PAX. “The rate of growth that we are experiencing is a testament to the product and the amazing team we have.”
“Our commitment to the advisor community is steadfast, and because of that, they are directly responsible for where we are today and where we are heading.”
Alberto Constans, Exoticca’s chief development officer, stated the tour operator has doubled its measurement in Canada over the past 12 months – “and [we] expect to double again in the following 12.”
Describing Exoticca as a “Next Gen Tour Operator,” Constans stated the corporate’s intention, globally, is to turn into the “largest player in all of the English and Spanish-speaking markets.”
“Canada plays a critical role not only because it is already our second-largest source market, but because it offers us a unique platform to grow with strong network partners and top-quality independent travel advisors,” he instructed PAX.
Exoticca doubles gross sales
In a launch, Alejandra Duran Gil, a associate at Quadrille Capital, stated that “Exoticca is revolutionising the travel booking experience worldwide, significantly enhancing efficiency and affordability for travellers.”
“Exoticca’s strong financial foundation and the team’s exceptional execution are at the heart of our investment thesis. We are looking forward to supporting the company in its next phase of growth, leveraging our technology and financial expertise to contribute to its continued success,” Gil acknowledged.
READ MORE: On Location: “Unknown” Africa – PAX unpacks Namibia with Canadian brokers & Exoticca
Exoticca says it has “more than doubled” its gross sales year-on-year since 2015, changing into a “digital category leader and selling trips to over 70 destinations worldwide to travellers in eight markets (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Mexico and Colombia) directly and through a network of travel and non-travel online and offline partners.
Its platform also utilizes a Travel Concierge App, as well as a real-time monitoring and automated response system for all the services included in the package.
Exoticca’s Fall Fling returns
Travel advisors can mark their calendars as Exoticca’s Fall Fling roadshow will return this October and November, landing in select cities across Canada.
Now in its second year, the event will raise the bar in 2024 with more prizes, special guests, learning, tourism boards, food and fun, Quinto said.
“We are expecting to have over 2,000 agents attend these special events across Canada, and trust me, you do not want to miss out this year,” Quinto instructed PAX. “Spaces are limited, so reserve your spot, right away!”
Click on right here to avoid wasting the date.
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