What Explore does

Explore operates Explore.com, a free, ad-supported digital travel publication that publishes editorial content for consumer travelers. The site is organized into four primary content pillars — Destinations (covering global regions including the United States, Canada, Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, Europe, Asia, India, Australia/New Zealand, Middle East, and Africa), Travel Guides (weekend getaways, international travel, safety, outdoor adventures, family-friendly, couples, solo, beach vacations, road trips, cruises, and culinary vacations), Planning (booking, transportation, all-inclusive resorts, hotels, Airbnb and rentals, timeshares, and car rentals), and Packing (tips, shopping, style, luggage) — plus News and Features sections. The platform is built as a standard web CMS publishing operation under Static Media, with no app, no API, and no proprietary software disclosed; the content library itself functions as the primary asset.

The business model is two-stream advertising media: display and sponsored content ads served to a broad consumer audience of travel planners, and affiliate/referral commissions earned when readers book hotels, resorts, car rentals, or related travel services via tracked links. Distribution is content-led and primarily SEO-driven, supplemented by an email newsletter (subscribe.explore.com) and an active social media presence. Reach is global across at least 15 listed countries; customers are unsegmented general consumer travelers (no named enterprise or B2B accounts). Ownership is described as private; according to news reporting, Explore.com is identified as a brand under Manifest Global, a Singapore-based education investment firm, while the site's copyright is held by Static Media, indicating an overlapping or unclear parent structure.

There is no evidence of proprietary technology, AI/ML features, paid subscriptions, mobile applications, or transactional products. Headcount is reported as 11-50 employees, consistent with editorial team scale rather than a software engineering organization. Strategic activity in the available record is thin: one dated corporate event (Manifest Global parent identification, January 2025) and ongoing editorial expansion across new travel categories and destinations, with no disclosed funding, acquisitions, or leadership changes.

Name

Explore

Legal name

Static Media

Website

https://explore.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Explore operates Explore.com, a free digital travel publication publishing destination guides, planning advice, and editorial content for global consumer travelers, monetized through display advertising and affiliate referral commissions across hotels, rentals, and bookings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Travel Media

NAICS

Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519), Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Travel & Outdoors Magazines (MPAJAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local & City Guide Content Aggregators (MPACAKAJ), Review-Led Travel Discovery & Booking Platforms (THAKAAAN)

Keywords

• Travel content publishing
• Online travel guides
• Travel editorial content
• Destination guides
• Travel planning advice

Headquarters

HQ city

Fishers

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Advertising: Explore.com generates revenue through advertising on its digital platform. The site displays ads to its broad consumer audience of travel planners and enthusiasts. The site is operated by Static Media, a digital publishing company that monetizes content through display advertising and sponsored content arrangements.
2. Affiliate / Referral Links: The site contains affiliate links within editorial content covering travel planning topics such as hotels, resorts, car rentals, and booking services, generating referral commissions when readers make purchases through tracked links.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Explore.com is a free, ad-supported digital travel content publication that publishes editorial articles covering destinations worldwide, travel style guides, planning advice, packing tips, and travel news. The platform monetizes through display advertising and affiliate referral links embedded within content covering hotels, resorts, car rentals, and booking services. It reaches a global audience of consumer travelers through its website, email newsletter, and social media channels.

Product overview

Explore.com is a single, unified digital travel media platform that publishes editorial travel content organized into four main sections: Destinations (featuring travel guides for regions including United States, Canada, Caribbean, Mexico, Central & South America, Europe, Asia, India, Australia & New Zealand, Middle East, and Africa), Travel Guides (covering weekend getaways, international travel, safety, outdoor adventures, family-friendly, couples, solo travel, beach vacations, road trips, cruises, and culinary vacations), Planning (including booking, transportation, all-inclusive resorts, hotels, Airbnb & rentals, timeshares, and car rentals), and Packing (with tips, hacks, shopping, travel style, and luggage advice). The platform operates as a content publishing site under Static Media and does not offer separate modules, add-ons, or distinct product tiers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Explore.com A digital travel content platform providing travel guides, destination information, planning advice, and editorial content for general consumer travelers. The site features curated articles organized across categories including destinations, travel guides, planning, packing, news, and features, and is accessible freely online without paywalls or subscriptions.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Tripadvisor: Tripadvisor operates a global user-generated travel content, reviews, and destination discovery platform with affiliate booking links. It directly competes with Explore.com's travel-planning content and commerce-driven business model.
• Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is an established travel-guide publisher offering editorial destination content and planning advice to global consumers. It mirrors Explore.com's content-led approach to travel discovery and information.
• AFAR Media: AFAR is a digital travel publication focused on experiential and culturally-oriented destination content for consumers. It is a direct editorial competitor to Explore.com in the travel magazine/content space.
• Matador Network: Matador Network is a digital travel media brand publishing destination guides, travel news, and adventure content, monetized via advertising and partnerships. It directly parallels Explore.com's content-led, ad-supported model.
• SmarterTravel: SmarterTravel is a digital travel media site providing booking, planning, and destination content supported by affiliate links. It overlaps Explore.com's editorial planning and affiliate monetization strategy.
• The Points Guy: The Points Guy is a leading travel media brand covering booking, deals, and destination content monetized through affiliate commerce. It competes for the same travel-planning consumer audience via editorial and affiliate economics.

Broad incumbents

• Condé Nast Traveler: Condé Nast Traveler is a premium travel magazine and digital publication covering destinations, hotels, and travel planning. It overlaps Explore.com's editorial destination coverage with greater brand prestige and resources.
• Travel + Leisure: Travel + Leisure is a major consumer travel publication covering destinations, planning, and reviews, with broad advertising and affiliate monetization. It competes with Explore.com for the same SEO-driven travel audience and ad budgets.
• Booking.com (Content): Booking.com operates travel content alongside its OTA, including destination guides and travel articles. It is a broader incumbent that overlaps Explore.com's editorial content while controlling its own booking funnel.
• Lonely Planet (Magazine) / National Geographic Travel: National Geographic Travel provides editorial travel content within a broader media portfolio, overlapping Explore.com on destination coverage with substantially deeper brand equity and resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ExploreDotCom
• YouTubeyoutube.com/explore
• Facebookfacebook.com/ExploreDotCom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/explore-com
• Instagraminstagram.com/explore

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Explore