ewsba.se
Expedia Group spent $279 million on acquisitions in the first quarter, driven by the closing of its deal to buy the Amsterdam-based Tiqets brand.
Expedia disclosed the spending in its its 10-Q financial filing published Friday, but didn’t tie it to its acquisition of the Amsterdam-based experiences brand.
Meanwhile, Airbnb, an investor in Tiqets, looks to have made $70 million on the deal. Airbnb disclosed the $70 million gain in its Q1 shareholder letter and in its own 10-Q for the first quarter. But Airbnb likewise didn’t mention Tiqets when it reported a $70 million one-time gain “related to the sale of a privately-held equity investment.”
The price Expedia paid was disclosed in its cash flow statement in a line item called “acquisitions and other, net.” Expedia did not identify it as being tied to the Tiqets acquisition, but it has announced no other acquisitions since 2019.
A source close to Tiqets told Skift they understood the range to be between $250 and $300 million. A financial analyst also said that number makes sense.
Expedia declined to comment beyond the financial filing, and as did Tiqets founder and president Luuc Elzinga, who left the company in March.
Expedia announced its intent to acquire the activities and experiences platform last December. Tiqets raised $105 million in venture funding in 2014, and refinanced debt with a $29 million loan in June 2025.
Airbnb, which led a $60 million Tiqets funding round in 2019, reported a $70 million gain in the first quarter “related to the sale of a privately-held equity investment.”
The gain was a strong contributor to Airbnb’s quarterly results: Its $160 million in net income was “driven primarily by higher revenue, a one-time gain of approximately $70 million related to the sale of a privately-held equity investment, and continued operating expense efficiencies, including customer support,” read its letter to shareholders.
Expedia intends to integrate Tiqets, which has a significant foothold in offering tickets to major tourist attractions, first into its B2B business for partners, and then into the company’s consumer brands.
Airbnb relaunched its own Experiences business a year ago.
Get breaking travel news and exclusive hotel, airline, and tourism research and insights at Skift.com.