Booking.com chooses TUI (Musement) experiences

Booking.com and TUI, via Musement, in partnership for the sale of strategic global tours, attractions, and experiences.

An agreement born from the ashes of the coronavirus emergency.Booking.com e TUI (Musement), together for the sale of local experiences and tours. An attempt to move beyond the tsunami that hit the tourism sector and to start again, rushing to regain leadership. TUI had closed its Italian office just in the months before the coronavirus, but chose to remain on the market with Musement, a Milan-based platform that sells experiences worldwide.

Whether this agreement is the result of present desperation (according to some) or a strategic vision (according to others) remains to be seen. For now, the two players have decided to proceed together.

Here are the details of the agreement starting from July:

• Booking.com customers will finally have direct access to a portfolio of over 70,000 tours and attractions worldwide through the TUI Musement subsidiary, which will be gradually rolled out on Booking.com in the coming months.
• The partnership includes a strong offer that is also relevant for domestic and local tourism.
• As global travel restrictions start to lift locally, customers will be able to book Musement’s tours and attractions inventory via Booking.com starting this summer.

TUI acquired Musement, a Milan-based tech start-up, 18 months ago and intends to develop it into the world-leading platform for tours and activities. The next step is to expand the platform’s portfolio to include a million activities, experiences, and excursions. In addition to guests enjoying these activities at holiday destinations, a growing offering is also planned in domestic European markets. The aim is for customers to take full advantage of the digital offering both at home and on holiday.

“Attractive and varied options worldwide, easy and quick for customers to book – that’s what we’ll offer through this cooperation. Expanding the marketing of digital experiences is a key focus of TUI’s digital strategy. The acquisition of Musement and the expansion of its portfolio of activities, bookable on the platform, is now followed by the partnership with Booking.com, a global marketing expert. We have a unique profile in the activities sector, which makes us attractive both to customers and to major travel partners,” said David Schelp, Managing Director of TUI Destination Experiences. The Group will further accelerate its transformation into a digital company.

“Continuously connecting travelers with the widest possible choice of great things to do is part of our long-term mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world,” said Lawrence Hester, Vice President of Attractions at Booking.com. “We know that people are already starting to dream about traveling once it’s safe again, even if at first it’s a bit closer to home. We are committed to laying the groundwork to ensure we can offer our customers the best possible mix of tours, activities, and unique experiences on a single platform. TUI and Musement have a highly compatible technology platform, a scalable business model, and a curated offering that we believe can be very appealing to our global customer base. Therefore, we are excited to take the next steps in this journey together with them.”

The commercialization of TUI products to Booking.com customers is currently scheduled to begin in July, with customers able to choose from up to 70,000 options from Musement’s inventory of tours, attractions, activities, and experiences. As part of the agreement, the TUI subsidiary will continue to expand its portfolio in the coming weeks and months, taking into account the special requirements of Booking.com. The varied portfolio also includes numerous activities for holidaymakers vacationing in their home country this summer, from wellness and adventure experiences to tickets for museum and attraction visits, as well as guided city tours and individual visits. A growing part of the portfolio also includes exclusive offers that travelers can find only on Musement.