GetYourGuide

GetYourGuide built a $2B+ travel marketplace by solving a problem travelers face everywhere: finding and booking local experiences (tours, museums, activities) that offline are fragmented across thousands of small operators. Founded in 2009 in Zurich, the company aggregated 60,000+ tours and activities in 170+ countries, providing search, reviews, and instant booking for experiences that previously required showing up and hoping for availability. This aggregation creates two-sided network effects: more suppliers attract more travelers, attracting more suppliers. The pandemic nearly killed the company - travel collapsed 90%+ in 2020 - but recovery to $1B+ booking volume by 2023 proves that in travel, aggregating fragmented supply creates durable businesses even through existential crises.