Klook targets European market in expansion strategy

By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter

TRAVEL platform Klook is working to expand its global presence by investing in Europe, its chief commercial officer said.

In an interview in Singapore last week, Klook Chief Commercial Officer Wilfred Fan said that while the company is known for its strong presence in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, it aims to expand globally.

“We are looking west to Europe, investing and starting to build up our company. Hopefully, travelers in Asia will start to notice and use Klook,” he told BusinessWorld, noting that the region is the company’s “priority.”

With offices recently opened in major cities such as London, Amsterdam, Rome, and Zurich, the company is aiming to tap into the increasing demand for curated, experience-based travel across the continent.

“We want to have people on the ground, necessarily. I think at this point speed is the most important. They can also manage people remotely and that could happen,” he said. “We want to have people all over Europe in all the destinations.”

Following Europe, the company’s goal is to expand in North America. Currently, it has offerings in Los Angeles.

The company’s access to technology and resources allows for low-cost integration of new experiences, providing local operators with a global platform, Mr. Fan said.

“The cost for us to bring something on board on a platform and make it available to over 30 plus languages and currencies is so easy and it’s very scalable, relatively low cost for us to do because we already have all that access to the technology and the tools and the people around the world,” he said.

To be a Klook merchant, Mr. Fan said one must send an application online. It takes Klook’s team about two days to get back to an applicant.

“I think it goes to our Malaysia team to be the first screening team to look at them. Then they will assign it to the right manager on the ground in different countries,” he said.

“If it’s something that we feel excited about, someone will get on it right away, call them up. If it’s something that is not as exciting or we don’t understand as much, we will give them a response and say, ‘Could you fill out the rest of the information?’” he added.

He furthered that one of the firm’s strategies includes cultivating partnerships with large and small companies, which allows them to offer rare or unique activities that are not typically readily available.

“What we do is bring people from around the region to more cross-border travel and go explore much further, much deeper into the backyard of different countries and really feel like a local,” he said.

“Given the nature of being an online travel company, we are in the best position to help grow that business,” he added.

Klook is a Hong Kong-founded travel company launched in 2014. It specializes in Asia-Pacific experiences through its online application.

According to its website, users can choose from over half a million products and services in over 2,700 destinations.