Travala, the online platform that allows crypto users to book hotel rooms in thousands of destinations around the world, has registered remarkable growth in bookings during the Christmas holiday season. More than half of those in December were paid in cryptocurrency, with bitcoin cash among the preferred options.
Also read: User Reports Reveal Visa and Mastercard Outages During the Holidays
Over 1,500 Rooms Booked in December
Rooms booked via the Travala.com website have been steadily rising throughout 2019, crossing another milestone last month, the travel agency announced in its most recent monthly report. The total number reached 1,528 in December, which represents a more than 15% increase over November, when 1,326 room nights were booked. The overall booking revenue was up 33.5% month-on-month, the document details. Besides the increase in bookings, the average price per room night also went up – from $97 in October and $115 in November to $133 in the last month of 2019, when the bookings peaked.
The report also shows that more than 60% of all Travala bookings in December were paid using cryptocurrencies, with bitcoin core (BTC) topping the list with 28%, followed by the platform’s native AVA token with over 9%. Bitcoin cash (BCH) is a close third with 8% of all bookings. Ethereum (ETH) accounts for 4% and Binance coin and dash each have 3%. Monero (XMR) was used in 2% of the cases, while the total of payments with other cryptocurrencies amounted to 6%. Fiat transactions with credit cards and Paypal had a 37% share.
Travala’s crypto payment gateway accepts multiple cryptocurrencies, also including XRP, LTC, TRX, NAN, XRB, ADA, DAI, and TUSD, allowing crypto enthusiasts to pay for its services with their favorite digital coin. The platform’s AVA token, based on the NEO network, is used to fuel its Smart discount and loyalty program which provides up to 10% savings on hotel and other accommodation bookings for users of the Travala.com wallet. A total of 2,305,000 AVA, close to 5% of the circulating supply, is locked within the Smart program which already has 550 members.
2 Million Hotels and Accommodations Offered
Travala.com currently offers customers the opportunity to book rooms in over 2,000,000 hotels and accommodations worldwide, including luxury resorts, apartments, villas, and hostels. According to its December report, the top seven visitors by country were from the Unites States, the U.K., Italy, Germany, France, Poland, and Australia. The leading seven destinations by bookings were Thailand, Cambodia, U.S., Australia, Italy, Vietnam, and France.
In November, Travala announced a new partnership with the popular online portal Booking.com, adding 90,000 destinations in over 230 countries, as news.Bitcoin.com reported. The cooperation made Travala one of the largest online travel agencies with global reach by number of bookable hotels. Travala.com is also a partner of Bitcoin.com. The platform is now integrated in the Bitcoin.com Wallet whose more than 5 million users can book accommodation for their trips using bitcoin cash.
Moving into 2020, Travala plans to focus on growing its user base and improving the user experience. Further enhancement of the AVA token utility, onboarding more travel businesses into its B2B platform, and expanding the partner network are among the top priorities stated in the company’s roadmap for the first quarter of this year. Travel.com also plans to add a number of new payment methods including cryptocurrency and local payment options.
Have you used the services of Travala or other crypto-accepting travel agencies? Share your experience in the comments section below.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation, endorsement, or sponsorship of any third party products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.
Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Travala.com.
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