Uber plans to expand its operations to include the travel industry. At least that’s what their latest news suggests. The taxi service provider platform wants to become a “super travel app”. The pilot project is conceived in the UK, where the company is starting to include the possibility of buying plane and train tickets, renting hotel rooms and even car rental.
Uber is currently working on this new strategy, experts say. This is not really surprising, as back in 2018 its CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, hinted that the company was exploring new business opportunities. This may be why management has decided now is the time to act as mobility is rebounding and the industry appears to be returning to pre-pandemic levels.
A wide range of services in the United Kingdom
At the moment, a pilot project is planned in the British Isles, but if it works, then the services will probably spread to other countries. The same thing happened with other services of the American mobility giant. It is worth recalling that it now includes door-to-door food delivery.
In addition, in the United Kingdom and beyond, Uber continues to offer taxi services. In the UK, for the past three years the company has also offered bike or electric scooter rental services, as well as the option to buy London Underground tickets. Meanwhile, in 2020, the company’s services included boat transportation on the Thames. To this end, a partnership agreement was concluded with Thames Clippers.
An Uber spokesperson assured that at the moment there are no plans to expand this model to other countries. However, management is also considering various alternatives in the United States. Such as, for example, the possibility of reserving seats in entertainment venues and recommending tourist attractions. In other words, although there is no official confirmation of the direction in which the company plans to develop, it is obvious that it is betting on tourism.
Uber traveler
For the time being, it appears that Uber will continue to build partnerships to support its business model. In the case of booking train and plane tickets, Uber will work with partners that will be integrated into its app. In other words, he will not provide these services himself. Therefore, it is necessary to wait to find out which companies will join, as there is no official information yet.
This summer, the company plans to include the sale of tickets for trains and buses. Then, at some point in 2022, flights will follow. Finally, next year, the platform will have a room reservation function. The ultimate goal is to integrate all of these services into a single app so that Uber travelers can manage all their travel needs in one app.