German travel booking site GetYourGuide marked its expansion into the U.S. market Tuesday with the announcement that it now accepts dogecoin for payment.
The Berlin-based firm, which says it’s booked 45 million-plus tours in 170 countries to date, is offering activity, attraction and tour bookings in major American destinations such as Hawaii; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Miami; New Orleans; New York; Orlando, Florida; and San Francisco. In addition to dogecoin, processed via BitPay, the site accepts major credit and debit cards, as well as PayPal and Google Pay.
GetYourGuide co-founder and CEO Johannes Reck said in a statement that the firm is “beyond excited” to enter the U.S. market as the world exits Covid pandemic lockdown and people can venture out on holiday again.
More from Personal Finance:
As travel resumes, here’s why you might use a travel advisor
Price trumps pandemic fears as Americans book travel again
Sun Belt beach, city stays top travelers summer wish lists
“The challenges many faced over the past year sent people into a virtual spiral — Netflix bingeing, increased social app use and a renewed interest in stock and cryptocurrency trading, such as dogecoin,” he said. “Why waste time worrying about hourly fluctuations in doge when we can invest in making memories by experiencing the best of the real world?”
GetYouGuide joins a growing list of travel providers accepting dogecoin and various other cryptocurrencies for payment. In April, the Bobby Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, began accepting dogecoin and other cryptocurrencies for overnight stays and event bookings via BitPay.
Airfare website Cheapair.com, Latvian carrier Air Baltic and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic have long accepted bitcoin. Expedia stopped directly accepting bitcoin in 2018, but 700,000 Expedia Group hotels and accommodations have been available via booking platform Travala, which accepts 30 cryptocurrencies, since 2020.
The 3,500-room Resorts World Las Vegas, which opened Thursday on the Strip as Sin City’s first major new casino resort in a decade, will also take cryptocurrency for select payments through a partnership with U.K. crypto exchange firm Gemini.
GetYourGuide’s chief marketing officer, Emil Martinsek, said the firm has something for everyone visiting one of its U.S. destinations, which also include Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Tampa, Florida, and Washington, D.C.
“No matter if you are an art fanatic, outdoor enthusiast, home chef, adrenaline junkie or an avid traveler wanting to truly get under the surface of your next destination, GetYourGuide is your companion to unlocking the most unforgettable experiences,” he said, in a statement.
Offerings include walking tours with local experts, regional culinary tours, cooking and craft classes, “skip-the-line” tickets to iconic attractions, and so-called bucket list experiences.
Source: Business - cnbc.com
