Tiqets

Tiqets is a Netherlands-based digital ticketing and travel-experience platform focused on helping consumers discover and book admission to museums, heritage sites, landmarks, and other attractions. The company was established in Amsterdam in late 2013 by Luuc Elzinga, Maarten Raaijmakers, and other partners. Its core proposition is to make cultural and sightseeing experiences easier to access through online and mobile booking, with digital tickets and information intended to reduce friction for travelers and attraction operators. The platform lists experiences at well-known venues including the Van Gogh Museum, Sagrada Família, and the Vatican Museums, while also serving a broader long tail of museums, landmarks, family attractions, and activities. Tiqets has operated through a combination of consumer-facing digital channels and partnerships with cultural institutions, tourism businesses, and travel-distribution platforms. Its mobile applications for iOS and Android form part of the company’s emphasis on booking while traveling, rather than relying solely on advance purchases through traditional ticket offices or destination websites. Tiqets expanded internationally after its Amsterdam launch and has been described as operating in more than 60 countries. Reference material identifies additional offices in Bangkok, Barcelona, Paris, Rome, London, and Philadelphia. The company’s growth has been associated with the broader shift toward mobile travel commerce and the digitization of admission inventory by museums and attractions. In 2016, The Next Web recognized Tiqets as the fastest-growing startup in the Netherlands. The company also received Adyen Tech5 recognition in 2016 and 2017 and was named Ticketing Business of the Year at TheTicketingBusiness Forum Awards in 2018. A significant expansion phase followed a reported $60 million Series C investment in 2019 led by Airbnb. The financing was intended to support international growth and the continued development of Tiqets’ booking technology. In 2020, founder Luuc Elzinga moved into a president role and Laurens Leurink became chief executive officer. Tiqets subsequently broadened distribution through integrations and commercial partnerships. In 2021, it integrated its booking service with Apple Maps, enabling users to access ticket-purchase options from within that environment. In 2022, the company announced partnerships with Klook and Trip.com Group, extending its reach through major travel platforms. Tiqets also operates an industry-recognition initiative, the Remarkable Venue Awards, which it has organized since 2017. The awards highlight museums, landmarks, family attractions, and other visitor experiences, using combinations of customer reviews, public voting, and expert judging. Regional editions were introduced in 2024, with winners in markets such as Spain, the Netherlands, and Italy competing for broader recognition. The initiative supports Tiqets’ positioning not only as a ticket intermediary but also as a curator and promoter of cultural and tourism experiences. The company’s later financial developments included a reported €25 million loan from ABN AMRO in 2025, described as supporting refinancing and European growth. Reference material also reports an acquisition by Expedia Group in December 2025; the company’s current ownership and operating status should be verified against an up-to-date primary source. Overall, Tiqets occupies the intersection of online travel, attraction ticketing, cultural tourism, and mobile commerce, connecting travelers with venues while providing institutions with digital distribution and demand-generation capabilities.

Tiqets was founded in Amsterdam in 2013 by Luuc Elzinga, Maarten Raaijmakers, and other partners. The founders sought to simplify access to museums and attractions by replacing some of the friction associated with physical ticket offices, fragmented venue websites, and paper admission processes with online and mobile booking. From its Dutch base, the company developed a marketplace and distribution service for cultural institutions, landmarks, and visitor attractions. The business expanded internationally as mobile travel planning became more common. Tiqets made admission products available for destinations in more than 60 countries and established additional offices in Bangkok, Barcelona, Paris, Rome, London, and Philadelphia, according to the cited reference material. Its inventory has included major institutions such as the Van Gogh Museum, Sagrada Família, and the Vatican Museums, alongside smaller and regional venues. iOS and Android applications supported the company’s mobile-oriented customer experience. Tiqets’ early growth attracted industry attention. The Next Web named it the fastest-growing startup in the Netherlands in 2016, and the company received Adyen Tech5 recognition in 2016 and 2017. In 2018 it was named Ticketing Business of the Year at TheTicketingBusiness Forum Awards. A reported $60 million Series C round led by Airbnb in 2019 provided capital for broader geographic expansion and product development. Leadership changed in 2020, when Laurens Leurink became CEO and founder Luuc Elzinga moved to a president position. The company continued to develop integrations intended to place attraction inventory inside wider travel-discovery ecosystems. In 2021, Tiqets connected its booking service with Apple Maps. In 2022, it announced partnerships with Klook and Trip.com Group, giving the company additional routes to consumers through major travel platforms. The company also built a brand presence around the Remarkable Venue Awards. Launched in 2017, the program recognizes outstanding museums, landmarks, family experiences, and other attractions. Winners are selected using customer reviews, public voting, and expert input. In 2024, Tiqets added regional award programs in markets including Spain, the Netherlands, and Italy, with regional winners eligible for global recognition. Examples cited for the 2024 awards include Keukenhof and Sagrada Família, while special categories have highlighted innovation and less widely known attractions. Reference material reports further financing activity in 2025, including a €25 million ABN AMRO loan intended to refinance existing debt and support European growth. It also reports that Expedia Group acquired Tiqets in December 2025. Because the latter event and the company’s post-transaction status require current verification, this dossier treats the present ownership and operating status as unconfirmed. Tiqets’ documented development nevertheless shows a consistent strategy: digitize admission sales, aggregate cultural experiences, distribute inventory through travel partners, and use mobile technology to connect visitors with attractions.

• 2025

  ABN AMRO financing

  [1]Tiqetsen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reports a €25 million loan for refinancing and European growth.

• 2024

  Regional Remarkable Venue Awards expand

  [1]Tiqetsen.wikipedia.org

  Regional award programs are introduced in markets including Spain, the Netherlands, and Italy.

• 2022

  Travel-platform partnerships

  [1]Tiqetsen.wikipedia.org

  The company announces partnerships with Klook and Trip.com Group.

• 2021

  Apple Maps integration

  [1]Tiqetsen.wikipedia.org

  Tiqets integrates booking access with Apple Maps.

• 2020

  Leadership transition

  [1]Tiqetsen.wikipedia.org

  Laurens Leurink becomes CEO and founder Luuc Elzinga becomes president.

• 2019

  Series C investment

  [1]Tiqetsen.wikipedia.org

  Tiqets receives a reported $60 million Series C investment led by Airbnb.

• 2018

  Wins Ticketing Business of the Year

  [1]Tiqetsen.wikipedia.org

  Tiqets receives the Ticketing Business of the Year award at TheTicketingBusiness Forum Awards.

• 2017

  Remarkable Venue Awards begin

  [1]Tiqetsen.wikipedia.org

  Tiqets launches an awards program recognizing museums and attractions.

• 2016

  Named the fastest-growing startup in the Netherlands

  [1]Tiqetsen.wikipedia.org

  The Next Web recognizes Tiqets for rapid growth in the Dutch startup ecosystem.

• 2013

  Tiqets is established in Amsterdam

  [1]Tiqetsen.wikipedia.org

  Luuc Elzinga, Maarten Raaijmakers, and other partners establish the digital attraction-ticketing company.

A mobile-first online intermediary for cultural attractions and travel experiences, emphasizing convenient digital admission, international discovery, and distribution partnerships.

• Digital ticketing · 2013

  Museum and cultural attraction tickets

  Tiqets offers online and mobile access to admission for museums, galleries, heritage institutions, and other cultural venues. The range includes internationally recognized institutions as well as regional attractions. The service is designed to let travelers discover available experiences, select a visit, and receive digital admission information through a booking flow rather than relying exclusively on venue ticket counters.

• Travel experiences · 2013

  Landmark and attraction admissions

  The platform distributes tickets for landmarks, monuments, family attractions, and sightseeing experiences. Examples referenced in source material include Sagrada Família and the Vatican Museums. These listings extend Tiqets beyond conventional museum ticketing and position it as a broader marketplace for visitor attractions in major destinations.

• Mobile travel technology

  Mobile booking applications

  Tiqets provides mobile applications for iOS and Android, supporting attraction discovery and digital booking while users are traveling. The mobile approach is central to the company’s value proposition, particularly for travelers making plans close to their visit date or seeking convenient access to electronic tickets.

• Industry recognition program · 2017

  Remarkable Venue Awards

  The Remarkable Venue Awards recognize museums, landmarks, family experiences, and other attractions. The program uses customer reviews, public votes, and expert judging, with categories such as Best Museum, Best Landmark, Best Family Experience, Most Innovative Venue, and Best Hidden Gem. Regional programs were added in 2024.

• 2024Regional Remarkable Venue Awards

  Spain · Netherlands · Italy

  Tiqets introduced regional award rounds whose winners could compete for global recognition, with cited winners including Keukenhof and Sagrada Família.

  Outcome. Expanded the awards’ local relevance while retaining a global competition structure.

  Source
• 2017Remarkable Venue Awards

  International

  Tiqets launched an awards initiative to spotlight high-performing museums and attractions, using reviews, votes, and expert assessment to promote notable visitor experiences.

  Outcome. The program became a recurring international recognition platform and later added regional editions.

  Source

• 2025

  Secure debt refinancing and growth financingStrategy

  Background

  Reference material describes Tiqets as seeking financing to manage existing debt and support European expansion.

  Action taken

  The company reportedly secured a €25 million loan from ABN AMRO.

  Aftermath

  The loan was described as providing refinancing capacity and funding support for continued growth.

  Loan. €25 million (2025)

  Source

• 2025

  Reported acquisition by Expedia GroupM&A

  Background

  Reference material reports a transaction involving Expedia Group at the end of 2025.

  Action taken

  Expedia Group reportedly acquired Tiqets in December 2025.

  Aftermath

  The reported ownership change and the extent of Tiqets’ integration into Expedia Group require confirmation from current primary sources.

  Source

• 2022

  Expand third-party travel distributionStrategy

  Background

  Tiqets sought additional consumer reach beyond its own applications and website.

  Action taken

  The company announced partnerships with Klook and Trip.com Group.

  Aftermath

  The arrangements broadened Tiqets’ distribution through established travel and activity-booking ecosystems.

  Source

• 2021

  Integrate ticket purchasing with Apple MapsProduct launch

  Background

  Travelers increasingly discover destinations and points of interest through map and navigation applications.

  Action taken

  Tiqets integrated its booking service with Apple Maps so users could access ticket purchasing from the mapping environment.

  Aftermath

  The integration placed attraction-ticket discovery closer to itinerary planning and location search.

  Source

• 2020

  Change leadership structureOther

  Background

  The company reached a stage where founder-led operations were supplemented by an executive leadership transition.

  Action taken

  Laurens Leurink became CEO while founder Luuc Elzinga moved into the president role.

  Aftermath

  The change separated day-to-day executive management from the founder’s continuing strategic role.

  Source

• 2019

  Use Series C capital to accelerate international expansionStrategy

  Background

  Tiqets was expanding its attraction inventory and geographic footprint as online and mobile travel booking grew.

  Action taken

  The company raised a reported $60 million Series C round led by Airbnb and directed the financing toward expansion and platform development.

  Aftermath

  The financing marked a major capital-backed phase of international growth.

  Series C investment. $60 million (2019)

  Source

1. 1Tiqetsen.wikipedia.org