Pandemic Ends Soon, GetYourGuide Opens Travel Offers With Dogecoin

Dogecoin, can now be used as a means of payment on the getyourguide site. (photo: VOI screenshot)

JAKARTA - German travel agency site GetYourGuide marks its expansion into the US market. Tuesday, June 29 they announced that they are now accepting payments with Dogecoin.

The Berlin-based company says they have booked more than 45 million tour destinations in 170 countries. They even now offer activities, attractions, and tour bookings in major US tourist destinations such as Hawaii; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Miami; New Orleans; New York; Orlando, Florida; and San Francisco.

In addition to dogecoin processed via BitPay, the site accepts major credit and debit cards, as well as PayPal and Google Pay.

GetYourGuide's founder and CEO, Johannes Reck, said the company was "very excited" to enter the US market, as the world starts from the COVID-19 pandemic state and people can go on vacation again.

“The challenges that many people have faced over the past year, have caught people in a virtual spiral, such as the Netflix binge, increased use of social apps, and renewed interest in trading stocks and cryptocurrencies, such as Dogecoin”, said Reck.

“Why waste time worrying about Doge fluctuations every hour when we can invest in making memories by experiencing the best of the real world?”, he added.

GetYourGuide joins the growing list of providers or travel agencies that accept Dogecoin and various other cryptocurrencies as a means of payment. Last April, the Bobby Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, began accepting dogecoin and other cryptocurrencies for overnight stays. Orders can be made via BitPay.

Airfare website Cheapair.com, Latvian airline Air Baltic and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic have also long accepted bitcoin. While Expedia stopped accepting bitcoin directly in 2018, 700.000 Expedia Group hotels and accommodations have provided booking platform Travala, which accepts 30 cryptocurrencies, since 2020.

Resorts World Las Vegas with 3.500 rooms, the first casino resort in Sin City in a decade, will also use cryptocurrencies for certain payments. This is done through a partnership with British crypto exchange company Gemini.

GetYourGuide's Chief Marketing Officer, Emil Martinsek, said his company's offer is for anyone looking to visit any of the US travel destinations, which also includes Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Tampa, Florida, and Washington, DC.

“It doesn't matter whether you're an art fanatic, an outdoor enthusiast, a home cook, an adrenaline junkie, or an avid traveler who wants to really know your next destination, GetYourGuide is your friend to making the most unforgettable ones come true.

Offers include walking tours with local experts, regional culinary tours, cooking and craft classes, "line-up" tickets to iconic attractions, and so-called new travel experiences.

Meanwhile in Indonesia, a resort called Katanglingga is also offered in crypto form. For enthusiasts, they can buy one of the risks on Katanglingga Island with ownership through crypto money.