Distribution Strategies

Online travel shopping service Yapta.com has closed a $2 million Series B investment round led by Voyager Capital.

Published: 26 Jun 2009

Online travel shopping service Yapta.com has closed a $2 million Series B investment round led by Voyager Capital.

The funding will be used to further the development of Yapta’s airfare and hotel price monitoring service and provide working capital for the company’s continued marketing efforts.

The financing, which also includes investment from Bay Partners, First Round Capital, Swiftsure Capital, W Media Ventures and private investors, increases the company’s total capital raised to $7.7 million.

“With airfares and hotel rates fluctuating wildly from one day to the next -- and a number of sources providing conflicting predictions on where prices are headed -- the value-conscious traveler still isn’t sure when to buy,” said Tom Romary, president and CEO of Yapta.

Romary highlighted that do-it-yourself travel planners need the tools, information and services that can assure them that they are getting the maximum value on their travel arrangements.

According to a May 2009 survey of travel agents conducted by American Express Travel, more than half (60 percent) of those polled say that they see more travellers seeking their assistance to help find the best deal this year than in the recent past. Meanwhile, 89 percent of travel agents report receiving more inquiries about deals this year than in the recent past.