Cardiff-based travel platform Lovetovisit, which helps people find and book local attractions, experiences and events, has raised £3.2 million 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 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.
“Lovetovisit has gone from strength to strength this year and we’re incredibly proud to have such esteemed investors on board,” said Alice Aubrey. “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.”