Africabookings Announces Seed Funding from Travel Startups Incubator to Grow African Travel Market
The funding will enable Africabookings to expand its online travel services across sub-Saharan Africa, which already allows travelers to access thousands of lodges and hotels in 19 countries.
Lake Wales, FL, June 29, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Africabookings is the latest emerging travel startup to receive $25,000 in seed funding from the Travel Startups Incubator, a Florida-based platform that invests exclusively in travel tech companies around the world. The new funding will enable Africabookings to expand its electronic bed-bank offerings as it strives to become the leading hotel wholesaler in sub-Saharan Africa.
Africabookings was recently named runner-up in EyeforTravel's Startup Awards 2015. After just one year of operation, Africa Bookings already offers customers accommodation and travel services in 19 destinations across sub-Saharan Africa — including South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Mauritius.
“The support, mentorship and advice that we’ve received from Travel Startups Incubator has already helped us focus on business-critical aspects that ensure our successful growth,” says Africabookings CEO, Bruce Tapping. “The fact that we are based in Africa, and the importance of the online sphere to the emerging African travel industry, have helped us grow quickly and offer our travelers one of the most comprehensive travel services in this largely untouched part of the world.”
For customers looking to discover this incredible region, Africabookings aims to offer the best choice and rates in mid to high-end hotels, as well as for services in areas mostly untrodden by the travel scene.
Africabookings is also having a positive impact on the regional travel and hospitality industry by growing the demand for tourism services across Africa. The company works closely with agents, hotels, and travel services to make local hotels more discoverable and accessible to today’s digital consumer.
“Africa’s potential for growth in this industry is huge. From a regional travel perspective and international one, the demand for quality tourism destinations and services that offer more than a stereotypical safari is growing everyday,” says Travel Startups Incubator Founder Matt Zito. “The continent has cultural tourism, beautiful beaches, friendly people and easy access to European markets. As an incubator we are extremely excited to have Africabookings in our portfolio of startups leading the industry in this region.”
Founded by former travel entrepreneurs and startup advisors, Travel Startups Incubator focuses on providing support for young ventures within mobile travel tech, leisure travel, in-destination, travel advertising, business travel, B2B and much more. Via its four to six month virtual, online incubator service, Travel Startups provides ventures with an initial $25,000 in seed-stage capital as well as business advice, mentoring, and legal and business development.
