Groupon Adds Xola as API Booking Partner Enabling Tours and Attractions Operators to Drive Customer Demand and Manage Capacity
Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN) has announced a new partnership with Xola, enhancing its Groupon Connect™ platform. This integration allows Xola's merchants to sync their booking availability with Groupon promotions, facilitating easier access for consumers to local leisure activities. Tim Eby, Groupon's VP of Product, highlighted the importance of adapting to operational challenges presented by COVID-19. The integration is currently active in the U.S., with plans for international expansion in the future, aiming to drive growth for attractions by streamlining booking processes.
- New partnership with Xola enhances Groupon Connect™, leading to improved booking capabilities.
- Integration allows easy syncing of booking availability for local leisure activities, benefiting consumers and merchants.
- Addresses operational challenges caused by COVID-19, optimizing merchant visibility and customer access.
- None.
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Experiences marketplace Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN) announced the company’s latest Groupon Connect™ partnership today with Xola, an online booking, reservation, marketing and tour management platform for in-destination tour and attractions operators.
Groupon Connect is the company’s recently launched next-generation API that enables leading booking, reservation and ticketing platforms to connect merchants directly to the Groupon platform, making it even more convenient for consumers to book deals from their favorite local businesses and attractions. The new integration enables Xola’s merchants, ranging from escape rooms, ziplines and challenge courses, sailing cruises and other local leisure activities, to sync their existing Xola booking availability directly with their Groupon promotions.
“We’re excited about the opportunity this creates for our merchants by integrating the important tools they use to attract new customers and manage their businesses in one place. COVID-19 has created a number of operational challenges for businesses, particularly when it comes to capacity requirements, and it is important for Groupon to provide a platform compatible with the leading booking solutions on the market,” said Tim Eby, vice president of product, Groupon. “For customers, being able to see available dates and times, book a service online prior to purchase and have a contactless interaction, is a much better experience.”
This new partnership brings another powerful integration to Xola's App Store to help drive growth for attractions. The Groupon Connect integration joins more than 75 apps and integrations, including Reserve With Google, Expedia, TripAdvisor, and automated marketing tools like Xolabot, Lightning Deals, Abandoned Booking Recovery, Package Upsell, Capacity Utilization, operational tools like Kiosk, TV Monitor display apps, Digital Waivers and many others.
“Groupon and Xola are committed to helping in-destination attractions operators succeed, especially now during the COVID crisis. This partnership will enable Xola customers to reach potential consumers looking to book activities and attractions in their local communities,” said J. Scott Zimmerman, co-founder and CEO of Xola. “With promotional and booking capabilities that work in tandem, our tour and attractions operators will be able to efficiently secure more bookings as consumers become more comfortable with the new normal and seek out socially-distant activities available close to home.”
The Groupon and Xola integration is live in the United States––with an international expansion planned at a later date.
Groupon is currently adding partners through its Groupon Connect™ platform. Partners who are interested in connecting with Groupon, should visit https://www.groupon.com/developers or email partners@groupon.com.
About Groupon
Groupon (www.groupon.com) (NASDAQ: GRPN) is an experiences marketplace where consumers discover fun things to do and local businesses thrive. For our customers, this means giving them an amazing selection of experiences at great values. For our merchants, this means making it easy for them to partner with Groupon and reach millions of consumers around the world. To find out more about Groupon, please visit press.groupon.com.
About Xola
Xola is a leading online booking and marketing platform for the travel industry's in-destination tours and attractions market. Co-founded in 2011 by J. Scott Zimmerman and Anush Ramani, the company is focused on its mission to help tour and activity companies around the world to grow their businesses. From small, family-owned tour companies to public companies and global brands, Xola's platform has helped over a thousand companies streamline operations and grow revenue. Xola has offices in San Francisco, Houston, Bangalore, and Belgrade. For more information visit: www.xola.com.
