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ToursByLocals is a Canadian-based, international private tour provider. Headquartered in Vancouver, with offices in Buenos Aires, Kuala Lumpur and Glasgow, the company serves upwards of 400,000 clients a year, connecting them with over 4300 private tour guides in 163 countries and 1,000 locations.
The company is a member of the Local Travel Movement, which aims to connect independent and mindful travellers with local people and local experiences.
Official website
ToursByLocals is a Canadian-based, international private tour provider. Headquartered in Vancouver, with offices in Buenos Aires, Kuala Lumpur and Glasgow, the company serves upwards of 400,000 clients a year, connecting them with over 4300 private tour guides in 163 countries and 1,000 locations.
The company is a member of the Local Travel Movement, which aims to connect independent and mindful travellers with local people and local experiences.
History
Founded in 2008 by Paul Melhus and Dave Vincent, the company initially focused on the basic function of connecting travellers with local guides via an online platform, relying on peer reviews to establish quality control measures. One of the originators of the "peer to peer" travel model the company has since shifted to offering more closely managed, curated tour content and shore excursions forcruise ships
Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports-of-call, where passengers may go on tours known as "sho ...
.
The company actively recruits independent local guides in new locations globally, and currently accepts roughly 1 in 9 applications after a multi-stage screening and interview process.
In January 2020, ToursByLocals announced $33 million in series A funding with Austin, Texas-based growth capital fund Tritium Partners. Funds from the round will be used for enhancements in user experience, technology, marketing and recruiting more talent.
Controversy''
Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, despite calls for travel companies to cease operations in Russian, President Luciano Bullorsky and CEO Paul Melhus have confirmed that they will continue their Russian tours and continue to employ Russian guides. The company provides financial allowances and subsidies to its Russian guides during the war.
External links
Official website
References
{{Improve categories, date=September 2021 Canadian travel websites Travel and holiday companies of Canada Peer-to-peer