Travel agent Trip.Me merges with British competitor

The Berlin-based company merges with TravelLocal from Bristol. Together they are one of the largest online marketplaces for personalized travel in English and German-speaking countries.

The two travel agents Trip.me from Berlin and the English start-up TravelLocal are joining forces. Both announced their merger and the conclusion of a financing round. "In view of the expected boom in demand following the pandemic, the management teams and investors see enormous potential in the merger, combined with a significant increase in market share," according to a joint statement. Together, they are one of the largest online marketplaces for personalized travel in English- and German-speaking countries.

The new company will receive funding of 2.9 million euros from Active Partners, a London-based VC and the London-based private equity firm Gresham House Ventures. The aim is to help the company recover from the pandemic more quickly and grow. The total of all investments raised to date amounts to 15.2 million euros.

Both companies offer more than 100 destinations. Customers mainly come from Germany, the UK, the USA, Canada and Australia. Travelers are brought together with local experts via the platform, who support them in planning their trip. "The combination of TravelLocal and Trip.Me is a strong combination with international growth potential that significantly expands our travel offering," says Trip.Me co-founder Matthias Woppmann. "We are currently seeing the first signs of recovery and look forward to accelerating the return of the travel industry."

Trip.Me was founded in 2013 and is now the largest platform for tailor-made travel in the DACH region, according to the company. TravelLocal was founded in 2016. Both companies will retain their names for the time being due to their high profile. The existing jobs will not be affected by the merger, the companies announced.