Nowadays many people use cryptocurrency to buy something on the Internet, purchase NFTs and play games on the blockchain. Due to that a lot of different companies started to accept crypto for their services and products. Now, during the New Year holiday season, interest in the travel industry has significantly increased, and SimpleSwap decided to figure out why crypto tourism is so attractive and if it has a future?
Travel agencies with crypto wallets
We found different interesting services that will be happy to receive crypto as a payment:
- Cheapair
The American online travel agency Cheapair was one of the first in the field to accept Bitcoin. As the owners of the company said, the idea to implement the digital payment format came to them after one of the clients asked a direct question to the support service: “Can I pay with Bitcoin for my flight?”. So now customers with crypto wallets can pay with crypto for their tickets.
- AirBaltic
In 2014, the Latvian airline Air Baltic became one of the first airline in Europe to accept Bitcoin as a means of payment. With cryptocurrency you can fly to the CIS countries, the Middle East, and several European countries. The company's CEO Martin Gauss noted that Air Baltic is one of the ten most innovative airlines in the world.
- GetYourGuide
The German platform for booking tours, excursions and other vacation activities, in addition to Bitcoin, started accepting Dogecoin (DOGE) for payment from June 2021. Assistance in processing payments and converting cryptocurrencies is provided by the BitPay platform. Traditional payment methods with cards, PayPal and Google Pay are also preserved. This travel startup was born in Berlin in 2009 and has always followed global technological trends. Among its initial investors are such big companies as SoftBank, Temasek and Lakestar.
- Airbnb
Back in 2020, the leaders of the largest online platform for finding affordable housing
considered the prospect of introducing blockchain systems, augmented reality and artificial intelligence into their work. Airbnb customers have been asking to implement cryptocurrency for several years. However, such an innovation requires quite large investments, since the platform has many customers around the world, and it is extremely difficult to ensure the stable operation of such a service.
However, there is still an opportunity to pay for housing on the platform with cryptocurrency. A Bitcoin app called “Fold” gave the possibility to book Airbnbs with BTC through the Lightning Network. The payment system provides its customers with cashback in the form of crypto for their daily expenses. Fold partners include Amazon, Starbucks, Chipotle, Lowe's, and most recently Airbnb.
- Travala
Travel platform Travala.com was launched in 2017. It has immediately attracted the attention of crypto lovers: here you can pay for booking, accommodation, flights, and other services with cryptocurrency. The platform has its own AVA token, which is not only an internal means of payment, but also provides cashback and discounts on the company’s services.
Users can join an affiliate program, which will allow them to get the maximum benefit from travel. There is an income even for storing AVA in the wallet. In addition, Travala has created its own NFT collection "Travel Tigers". Owners of these unique art items will automatically receive membership in the private Smart Diamond travel club.
Crypto travel in the USA
The tourism business in the United States has become more open to the introduction of cryptocurrency. It’s quite easy to stumble across hotels that are happy to accept crypto for your stay. For example, Hotels of the Resorts World in Las Vegas, Nevada, have simplified the life of all holders of crypto wallets. There everyone can pay for their holidays with cryptocurrency. Or in the Bobby Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, visitors might snuggle by the fireplace next to the Christmas tree, sipping tasty wine, and pay afterwards for all that with DOGE. Different services can also be paid for with crypto.
What lies ahead for crypto tourism?
Definitely, there is a future for crypto tourism. In the new meta-reality cryptocurrency payments become ubiquitous. It is convenient, fast, affordable and does not require any third parties. Some could say that the travel industry is a little outdated, but new generations of travelers demand new forms of payment, so probably soon there will be more places and services which accept crypto.
Would you like to learn more about the Crypto World? Then you should check out our blog! You might like our articles “10 Crypto Highlights of 2022” and “Brands and Crypto in 2022”.