Klook pivots to home-based local experiences as it adapts to a new normal

Hong Kong-based travel booking platform Klook has launched Klook Home, a new service that lets users book home-based experiences, as it kick-starts business recovery and tackles the “new normal” of travel.

Photo credit: Klook

Klook Home offers almost 200 home-based experiences such as do-it-yourself craft and cooking kits, online workshops, and free virtual tours.

For markets with stay-at-home regulations like Singapore and the Philippines, Klook Home offers home-based activities. Markets that have eased policies, such as Taiwan and Hong Kong, could leverage its list of local activities within the city or other cities, the company said in a statement.

According to Klook’s search data, about 60% of the total number of searches across Asia Pacific and Europe are related to domestic experiences, indicating rising local interest in them.

Klook Home, which has been rolled out to 14 markets in Asia Pacific and Europe, is part of the startup’s multistage approach to recovery.

Klook is expanding its offerings of local experiences after it saw an uptick in bookings in April during its pilot run in South Korea and mainland China. The startup said it aims to capture local demand first, which will help pave the way in providing a range of offerings for both intra-regional and overseas travelers in the future.

Klook is also launching Klook Academy, which aims to help merchants optimize their offerings for the new normal. The initiative will provide workshops and webinars on topics such as marketing and operational excellence.

See also: A roadmap for online travel’s long, painful path to recovery

The startup’s strategy comes after the Covid-19 pandemic has severely hit the travel and hospitality industries. Last month, the startup said it’s streamlining its workforce through furloughs or layoffs in an effort to weather the crisis. The decision was said to impact up to 20% of its total headcount.

Klook’s co-founders and other leaders have also given up their salaries and taken pay cuts, respectively.

“Covid-19 has inevitably altered the future of travel, and we must continue to be nimble to capture new opportunities,” said Eric Gnock Fah, chief operating officer and co-founder at Klook. “Global travel may be some time away from now, but we are confident to seize every opportunity […].”