Expedia Teams up with Travala to Bring Crypto Payments to 700k Hotel Bookings
Travel booking giant Expedia partnered with crypto-travel platform Travala.com today, allowing users to book over 700,000 accommodations with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
Pay with BTC, ETH, XRP, others
As per a press release, the billion-dollar valued American firm will partner with Australia’s Travala to bolster crypto payments across its hotel booking verticals.
Expedia Group is an online travel shopping company for consumers and small business travel. Its websites, which primarily travel fare aggregators and travel metasearch engines, include CarRentals.com, Expedia.com, HomeAway, Hotels.com, Hotwire.com, Orbitz, Travelocity, Trivago, and Vrbo.
Travala.com was founded in 2018 and later acquired by Binance in 2019. The firm allows users to book hotel rooms using BTC, LTC, ETH, TRX, and over 20 other altcoins. It claims to have over 2 million rooms on its portal, offering discounts of 40 percent for users.
Expedia Group Senior Vice President Alfonso Paredes said the company aims to scale up Travala.com’s business faster than previously. He added the firm “recognizes innovation and the importance of allowing users to choose their preferred payment method.”
He noted that through Expedia’s expansive travel supply, partner support, and cutting-edge technology, the firm specializes in helping partners like Travala.com “build fantastic experiences for their travelers.”
Consumer Confidence Growing
Juan Otero of Travala.com revealed the firm’s lastest month-on-month data showed consumer confidence and travel desire, against the ongoing COVID-19 backdrop, is increasing with an 80 percent increase in room nights booked and website traffic up 50 percent week-on-week.
Otero stated cryptocurrency adoption is evidently on the rise, meaning travelers have payment choice and transparent pricing for every trip booked.
Speaking on the EPS Rapid, he said the API product was “the best” travel industry and that the partnership unlocked greater accommodation choice and availability for our users, including 4- and 5-star hotels in top destinations.
Meanwhile, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao concluded:
“Travala.com has proven their ability to build a world-class travel booking platform. We’re excited to see the development of Travala.com’s relationship with Expedia Group, as they enhance the use of cryptocurrency in travel.”
As BTCManager reported in May 2020, Binance-backed Travala.com merged with TravelbyBit to create the world’s largest, and one of the few, crypto-based travel company.
