HomeAway Helps Families Enjoy their Whole Vacation with Care.com, Ticket Evolution and GetYourGuide Mobile Integrations
AUSTIN, Texas (PRWEB) June 30, 2015 -- HomeAway, Inc. (NASDAQ: AWAY), the world leader in vacation rentals, today announces its mobile app will now make it easier for families to find child care and purchase tickets to events and attractions while on vacation, thanks to integrations with Care.com (NYSE: CRCM), Ticket Evolution and GetYourGuide.
Care.com is the world's largest online destination for finding and managing family care, with 15.2 million members, spanning 16 countries. The company’s ability to help HomeAway® guests find a babysitter fills a large need – more than 70 percent of people using HomeAway.com travel with their family or a group and the average party has at least one child, according to company data.*
In addition, finding and gaining access to local events and attractions in vacation destinations will be easier thanks to integrations with Ticket Evolution and GetYourGuide.
Ticket Evolution operates one of the world’s largest ticketing exchanges, enabling HomeAway guests to seamlessly find tickets to more than 65,000 events worldwide. Meanwhile, GetYourGuide collects and categorizes all the world’s things to do so travelers research less and do more, from skipping attraction lines and guided tours to cooking classes and canal cruises.
“Our goal is to give HomeAway users access to concierge-like services by partnering with world-class companies,” said Brian Sharples, HomeAway co-founder and chief executive officer. “Having the ability to quickly get tickets to a Broadway show and book a sitter for the night from our app is a step towards that goal.”
“Finding a sitter while on vacation is a challenge that many families face, so we’re thrilled that with Care.com’s integration into the HomeAway app, planning and enjoying a family vacation has never been more simple,” added Caroline Sheu, chief marketing officer of Care.com. “As the first travel app that enables families to search through more than 6 million providers on Care.com, families can now easily find, contact and access background check options for millions of vacation sitters no matter where they are.”
The integrations are live and available in the HomeAway app.
Since acquiring Glad to Have You in March 2014, the HomeAway app has undergone a dramatic transformation. Now travelers can access logistical information about the vacation rental and suggestions for dining and entertainment in the surrounding area provided by the property owner or manager. Travelers also have the ability to get a ride with Uber and have groceries delivered via Instacart, thanks to partnerships announced last fall.
“The HomeAway app has been downloaded more than 2 million times and is used dozens of times by the traveler even after a property is booked,” added Sharples. “Our mobile platform is quickly becoming an integral part of the vacation rental experience.”
In tune with these mobile integrations and summer travel, HomeAway launched “Kids Rule Vacation Photo Contest.” Contestants are eligible to win $3,500 towards a vacation rental stay with HomeAway. Enter by visiting the contest’s microsite between June 30 and July 26.
- Q4 2014 HomeAway.com Customer Satisfaction Survey
About HomeAway:
HomeAway, Inc. based in Austin, Texas, is the world's leading online marketplace for the vacation rental industry, with sites representing over one million paid listings of vacation rental homes in 190 countries. Through HomeAway, owners and property managers offer an extensive selection of vacation homes that provide travelers with memorable experiences and benefits, including more room to relax and added privacy, for less than the cost of traditional hotel accommodations. The company also makes it easy for vacation rental owners and property managers to advertise their properties and manage bookings online. The HomeAway portfolio includes the leading vacation rental websites HomeAway.com, VRBO.com and VacationRentals.com in the United States; HomeAway.co.uk and OwnersDirect.co.uk in the United Kingdom; HomeAway.de in Germany; Abritel.fr and Homelidays.com in France; HomeAway.es and Toprural.es in Spain; AlugueTemporada.com.br in Brazil; HomeAway.com.au and Stayz.com.au in Australia; and Bookabach.co.nz in New Zealand. Asia Pacific short-term rental site, travelmob.com, is also owned by HomeAway.
HomeAway also operates BedandBreakfast.com, the most comprehensive global site for finding bed-and-breakfast properties, providing travelers with another source for unique lodging alternatives to chain hotels.
About Care.com
Since launching in 2007, Care.com (NYSE: CRCM) has been committed to solving the complex care challenges that impact families, caregivers, employers, and care service companies. Today, Care.com is the world’s largest online destination for finding and managing family care, with 15.2 million member consumers* across 16 countries, including the US, UK, Canada and parts of Western Europe, and approximately half a million employees of corporate clients having access to our services. Spanning child care to senior care, pet care, housekeeping and more, Care.com provides a sweeping array of services for families and caregivers to find, manage and pay for care or find employment. These include: a comprehensive suite of safety tools and resources members may use to help make more informed hiring decisions – such as third-party background check services, monitored messaging, and tips on hiring best practices; easy ways for caregivers to be paid online or via mobile app; and household payroll and tax services provided by Care.com HomePay. Care.com builds employers customized benefits packages covering child care, back up care and senior care consulting services through its Global Workplace Solutions, and serves care businesses with marketing and recruiting support. To further connect families, Care.com has expanded its consumer service with its 2014 acquisition of Citrus Lane, the leading social commerce site for moms, and its 2013 acquisition of Big Tent. Headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, Care.com has offices in Berlin, Austin, New York City and Silicon Valley.
*As of March 2015.
About Ticket Evolution
Ticket Evolution is the silent backbone of the secondary ticketing industry with nearly $2B in global event ticketing inventory running through its systems. Ticket Evolution develops solutions that allow premier brands to offer tickets to sporting events, concerts, theatre & more while providing the backend real-time execution, clearing & settlement across multiple distribution platforms.
About GetYourGuide
GetYourGuide connects people with more than 25,000 things to do all over the world so they discover more and research less. On GetYourGuide, travelers can find everything from historic walking tours to skip-the-line Eiffel tower passes, tickets to sporting events and shows, and even entries to museums and attractions. GetYourGuide offices are in Berlin, Las Vegas, Rome and Zurich.
Jordan Hoefar, HomeAway, Inc., http://HomeAway.com, +1 512-505-1857, [email protected]
Share this article