In the past few years, investors have poured millions into travel and accommodation companies around the globe like Airbnb and Room 77, Wimdu (Berlin), Tuniu and17u.cn (Beijing and Suzhou, China), Ostrovok (Moscow), HouseTrip (London), and most recently Hotel Urbano (Rio de Janeiro). The travel tech industry has become increasingly geared toward convenience and accessibility. Travelers want the ability to book lodging, transportation, and experiences- simply and immediately- all from their mobile devices.
“Mobile is changing the landscape a lot. More broadly consumers are wanting and expecting to be able to use their mobile phones as a remote control for their life… and travel is part of that,” said Ben Holmes at Index Ventures.
Investments in this new dimension of travel startups have increased as companies like HotelTonight and GetYourGuide expand the options for on-demand traveling.
Read full story at: http://techcrunch.com/2014/03/09/travel-tech-investors-are-ready-for-takeoff/
