Cardiff-based travel platform Lovetovisit, which helps people find and book local attractions, experiences and events, has raised £3.2m in VC funding to scale-up. The round was led by Venrex and Redrice Ventures. It was joined by Active Partners, Velocity Partners and Angels.
Founded in 2021 by twin sisters Georgia and Alice Aubrey alongside tourism and culture expert Fed Pereira, Lovetovisit makes it easy for the 19.4 million families in the UK to discover and book things to do nearby. From theatre trips and city attractions, to quirky family days out, local events and festivals, Lovetovisit has been designed to cater to locals, domestic tourists, and international visitors alike. Since launch, Lovetovisit has turned over £7.4m in revenue and powered hundreds of thousands of experiences.
With more than 2,700 products currently listed on the platform reaching a community of more than 3.2 million users, Lovetovisit’s proprietary API means users can 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.
The Lovetovisit founding trio, who previously worked together at Pereira’s tourism marketing agency, were inspired to launch the platform after noticing how difficult it was for consumers to find and book local things to do. This frustration did not exist for consumers ordering takeaways or booking accommodation, as these industries had already been disrupted by tech solutions. Lovetovisit solves this problem by making it easier to find and book experiences tailored to consumers’ preferences and at the best price, in a single platform.
80% of the experiences, events and attractions offered by Lovetovisit are unique to the platform. Existing partners include big names like Alton Towers, Chester Zoo and ZipWorld and family favourites such as Pennywell Farm, Techniquest Science Museum in Cardiff and local music and food festivals.
The platform is powering additional footfall at local attractions across the UK: 85% of Lovetovisit’s attractions are outside of London, with days out in Devon attracting more than 25,000 visitors via Lovetovisit since the start of 2024. The domestic tourism market is worth $927bn.
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. The funding will also be used to enhance the platform’s AI capabilities to further optimise the user experience, and to scale operations internationally.
Lovetovisit was recently named Wales Tourism StartUp of the Year and will be heading to the UK finals in September. In September 2023, Georgia and Alice Aubrey won the John Hays Entrepreneur of the Year category at the Travel Industry Awards.
Alice Aubrey, co-founder at Lovetovisit comments:-
“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.”
Fed Pereira, CEO at Lovetovisit comments;
“We’re in the business of helping people find fun and memorable ways to spend time with family and friends. Even when incomes are stretched, people still prioritise and treasure those moments. The excitement that planning a day out brings, that flutter in the belly, is like nothing else. And that’s what Lovetovisit is all about: a simple, fun, and user-friendly way of booking memorable activities big and small, with the reassurance you’re getting the best price possible. Our tech offers a seamless experience to enable locals and tourists across the UK to do just that.
“Having such well-respected investors on board as we double down on our mission to scale domestic tourism in the UK and internationally is a wonderful endorsement of what we’ve built to date and will provide the fuel needed to realise our ambitions over the coming years.”
Lilac Watt, Investment Associate, Venrex Investment Management, comments;
“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.”
Andrew Sutcliffe, Partner at Redrice Ventures, comments;
“In a post-pandemic era, consumers want to connect with others through in-person experiences and in many cases are seeking these close to home. Until now, there have been few ways for consumers to easily find such experiences. Lovetovisit’s industry experience has enabled them to build a platform with an exceptional depth of supplier inventory and we are excited to support them on their journey to become the next-gen platform for things-to-do.”
Amanda Meyrick, Company Director, The Dinosaur Park Tenby, Pembrokeshire, comments;
“Partnering with Lovetovisit gives us a platform to market our attraction on a national basis and we are very pleased with the results. Being a south west Wales attraction, it is so important for us to reach audiences far and wide before they visit the region, and LovetoVisit helps us to do just that.”
