Obilet and BlaBlaCar Collaborate to Boost Global Travel Innovation and Reach

Obilet, a prominent online travel and tourism platform in Turkey, has announced a strategic investment agreement with BlaBlaCar, a French-based travel sharing company. This collaboration, pending final approval, will allow Obilet to maintain its operational independence while contributing to BlaBlaCar’s bus ticketing business in developing countries.

Obilet's founders, Ali Yılmaz and Yiğit Gürocak, will continue to lead the company, with Gürocak serving as CEO. Established in 2012, Obilet facilitates the comparison and purchase of bus, airline, ferry, hotel, and car rental options. The platform handles over 40 million ticketing and booking transactions annually, offering both B2C services and B2B data distribution and ticketing infrastructure software (IMS) to bus companies. Obilet ranks among the top three global platforms for bus ticket transactions and has expanded its reach into Eastern Europe, providing flight options from over 50 countries in 15 languages.

BlaBlaCar, known for connecting drivers and passengers for intercity travel, boasts 27 million active users across 21 countries. As a leader in community-based travel, BlaBlaCar aims to be the primary platform for multi-modal journeys, promoting shared or collective travel to reduce carbon emissions.

The partnership between Obilet and BlaBlaCar aims to bolster their presence in international markets. Obilet CEO Yiğit Gürocak expressed excitement about the agreement, highlighting the shared vision and values with BlaBlaCar. He emphasized the potential for leadership in bus ticketing and the benefits of leveraging BlaBlaCar’s technology and organizational expertise. Gürocak anticipates expanding Obilet’s team and accelerating their efforts post-agreement, benefiting all business partners and users of Obilet.

This strategic investment marks a significant step for both companies as they seek to grow their influence in the global travel industry.

Source: egirişim