Hong-Kong-based online travel company Klook has closed US$100 million in funding led by the global growth investment firm Vitruvian Partners, as the platform accelerates its efforts to capture the fast-growing market of next generation travellers and deepen its reach across the Asia-Pacific region.

The newly secured capital will drive Klook’s next phase of growth and innovation. Through its expanded artificial intelligence ( AI ) partnership with Google Cloud, the company plans to enhance customer experience, merchant operations and internal productivity.

The investment from Vitruvian Partners, known for backing high-growth, category-defining companies, brings a wealth of expertise and global perspective to Klook’s next phase of growth.

The platform, it points out, is also future-proofing the tourism sector through digital transformation and fostering community impact in collaboration with tourism boards across Asia-Pacific. A recent agreement with the Philippine Department of Tourism exemplifies this approach, accelerating the digital transformation of the country’s tourism sector and improving access to authentic local experiences.

The company, which marked in its 10th anniversary in last year, has, it notes, “facilitated millions of seamless travel moments, empowered local businesses and contributed US$7.2 billion in GDP and supported over 219,000 jobs in Asia-Pacific, reaffirming its pivotal role as a key economic engine in the region’s tourism sector”.

International visitor arrivals in the region, according to the PATA Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts 2024-2026 report, are expected to grow from 619 million in 2024 to 762 million by 2026, surpassing previous highs in 2019. This resurgence, coupled with evolving traveller behaviours – including a growing preference for experiences over material goods – positions Klook, it says, to capture significant market share as a trusted platform for experiences and services across the region.

“With the region  set to remain the heartbeat of global tourism,” adds Ethan Lin, the platform’s CEO and co-founder, “our strong brand, extensive supply network and deep local expertise position us to deliver even greater value to the next generation of experience-driven travellers across the world.”