Booking.com partners with cryptocurrency platform Crypto.com

Hong Kong: Booking.com has announced that it has partnered with payment and cryptocurrency platform Crypto.com to deliver travel deals to Crypto.com users, exclusively via the company’s app.

As a result, Crypto.com users will be able to benefit from discounts of up to 25 per cent when making accommodation reservations through Booking.com. Those who pay using the Crypto.com Visa Card will also have the opportunity to get up to eight per cent back on spending, free and unlimited LoungeKey airport lounge access, free ATM withdrawals worldwide, and no foreign transaction fees.

According to Booking.com, 65 per cent of consumers are said to be excited to travel again in 2021, though the majority [62 per cent] expect to be more price conscious when researching for their next trip.

The partnership will provide Crypto.com’s users with access to more than 400,000 discounted properties and over 28 million accommodation listings.

Crypto.c0m CEO and co-founder, Kris Marszalek, said in a statement: “In 2020, our Crypto.com visa card program grew to become the most widely available card of its kind, and we know that travel perks are a highly sought-after benefit. Our user base also grew in 2020, and we now serve over five million users around the world, who are eager to travel again in 2021.

“We’re delighted to announce our partnership with Booking.com, the first of many we’ll be announcing this year,” he added.

Booking.com is not the first travel company to look towards cryptocurrency as a way to entice new users to its booking platform through deals and discounts.

Last August, UK and blockchain-based travel booking platform Travala announced that it was adding more than one million holiday homes in 195 countries to its site.

Claiming to be a leading “crypto-friendly” booking platform, Travala allows its users to book holiday homes using more than 30 kinds of cryptocurrency [including bitcoin [BTC], ethereum [ETH], binance coin [BNB] and AVA], alongside traditional payment options like credit and debit cards.

Furthermore, in a November S-1 filing for its much-anticipated IPO, Airbnb declared an interest in integrating a number of emerging technologies within its platform, including tokenisation, cryptocurrencies and blockchain, to cater to growing demand for such services.

One of the most recognised forms of cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, hit a new record high of $42,000 last week before plunging by over 20 per cent at the weekend as it aims to become a more mainstream investment.