Online travel startups based in Germany are hunkering down to survive a coronavirus pandemic that threatens to inflict a “nuclear winter” on the travel industry as bookings plunge and borders close.
Berlin-based GetYourGuide and ticket booking website Omio said they planned to spend the expected quiet period working on tech systems to ensure they were more competitive when travel resumes in earnest.
“In the next couple of weeks I think we’ll all just go into hibernation mode. We’ll work on our tech, our infrastructure and our supply offering, and make sure we have everything in place for when travel picks up again,” said Johannes Reck, co-founder and CEO of GetYourGuide
The company, which specializes in experiences such as museum visits and walking tours, said bookings worldwide halved two weeks ago from forecast levels after a record start to the year.
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