Welsh travel platform Lovetovisit raises £3.2M to boost local tourism

Funding will also be used to enhance the platform’s AI capabilities for customer optimisation

Cardiff-based travel platform Lovetovisit has raised £3.2m in funding to help it scale-up. 

The venture capital funding round was led by Venrex and Redrice Ventures so the firm can help people find and book local attractions, experiences and events.

It was joined by Active Partners, Velocity Partners, as well as angel investorrs. 

Lovetovisit, founded in 2021, has turned over £7.4m in revenue and powered hundreds of thousands of experiences.

It has more than 2,700 products currently listed on the platform, which reaches a community of more than 3.2 million users.

Partners include big names like Alton Towers, Chester Zoo and ZipWorld among its experiences, with 80% of its experiences being unique to the platform.

The platform's proprietary API allows users to buy tickets in real-time at the guaranteed "lowest" price. 

Instead of redeeming tickets via a separate retailer or voucher, tickets are sent instantly to users via text and email. 

The mobile-optimised platform uses AI to send personalised recommendations to users to help them discover their next trip and offers interactive maps to help them find out what's going on nearby.

This investment will be used to scale operations in the UK and further the platform’s expansion.

The team is aiming to double growth and inventory year-on-year for the next three years.

Funding will also be used to enhance the platform’s AI capabilities to optimise the user experience, and to scale operations internationally.

Alice Aubrey, co-founder Lovetovisit, said: “Lovetovisit has gone from strength to strength this year and we're incredibly proud to have such esteemed investors on board. 

"Building the business and hitting these milestones alongside my sister is a dream. We each bring unique strengths to the team, but we share a passion for supporting the many amazing events, attractions and experiences in the UK to digitise and scale. 

"There are so many weird, wonderful and iconic things to do in this country, we just need to make it easier for people to find, explore and book them. 

"Our goal is to be the go-to platform for booking memorable things to do and this raise is a big step towards achieving that mission."

Lilac Watt, investment associate of Venrex Investment Management, said: “We are excited to join Lovetovisit’s journey as new shareholders. 

"Venrex looks to back compelling founders who meet the needs of modern consumers in innovative and tech-forward ways. 

"We have been impressed by the team’s knowledge around the culture and tourism market from day one and we look forward to watching as they build their business at scale.”

Patrick Colquhoun, assistant chief executive officer of Loch Lomond Fairie Trail at Luss Estates, added: “We have had an excellent experience with Lovetovisit. 

"Their geographic reach has expanded recognition of our product to all areas of the UK, bringing visitors that we’ve never had before. 

"Our partnership has been professional and results driven, and has generated exponentially greater sales for our brand.”