Wall Street is about to get a few more things to do. Asia-based experiences online travel agency (OTA) Klook has taken its first step toward going public in the U.S., applying to list on the New York Stock Exchange. The move marks a significant milestone for one of the experience sector’s largest OTAs, signaling growing investor confidence in the global tours, activities and attractions market.
The company’s F-1, or registration document for a foreign company to file for an IPO in the U.S., reveals a fast-growing company that has achieved profitability over the past two quarters. Total gross bookings, or the total value of all experiences sold on the platform for the nine months through Sept. 30, were US$2.3 billion, up 31% vs. 2024. This indicates that Klook is growing more than twice as fast as Viator, which has reported gross bookings in the low double-digits so far this year (although the Tripadvisor-owned OTA does not report precise gross booking figures).
Klook’s filing also follows a $100 million funding round earlier this year, which Klook said would help expand its reach beyond APAC, and a $210 million funding round in 2023.
Klook’s path to growth has leaned heavily into the younger traveler market with a big focus on mobile and social media. The OTA has been an early adopter of social commerce, working with popular social video platform TikTok to integrate tour and activity bookings, as well as RedNote in China. Klook CCO Wilfred Fan has been a frequent presence at Arival events, sharing insights on Asia’s outbound travel market, the next generation of travelers, and travel discovery shifting to social media.
As Klook prepares for its next chapter, operators and competitors alike will be watching closely. Its IPO offers another opportunity to gauge economic performance in the tours, activities and attractions sector, as Klook would join Viator/Tripadvisor as one of the only publicly traded experiences-sector platforms. Your move, GetYourGuide.
What does this mean for operators?
For tour and activity operators, Klook’s next move could have real-world implications. A successful IPO would likely fuel even greater investment in social media marketing, AI, and regional expansion, creating more opportunities for operators connected to the platform to reach global travelers — particularly younger, mobile-first audiences.
But public market pressures can also drive OTAs to focus on scale and profitability, which may mean tighter performance standards, pricing pressure, and a stronger emphasis on high-converting, quality supply. For operators, that makes standing out through strong product descriptions and images, online reviews, and differentiated experiences more important than ever. Learn more about standing out on OTAs here:
- Arival Guide to OTAs and Digital Distributors
- 5 Keys to Five Star Reviews
- How to Make Your OTA Listings Go Viral (interview with Klook’s General Manager Nathan Szabo)
13-16 Oct 2026
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