Lokal

What Lokal does

Lokal Travel, Inc. is a US-incorporated online travel marketplace founded in 2015 in Los Angeles by three co-founders — Dave Koken, Eytan Elterman, and Marco Bollinger. The platform connects conscious, eco-minded travelers with vetted local providers, community-owned accommodations, and adventure experiences, with custom-trip planning concentrated in four anchor countries (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru, and Mexico) and pre-designed experience listings spanning 25+ countries globally. The company's central commercial claim is that at least 80% of travel dollars spent through Lokal reach local communities, against an industry average of less than 5% in developing destinations — a thesis that also frames its brand and earned media positioning (New York Times, National Geographic, CNN Travel, Vogue).

The platform operates a hybrid marketplace combining self-serve booking of pre-designed experiences with expert-assisted custom trip planning, where travelers complete a preference questionnaire and receive personalized itineraries from in-country experts. The catalog covers 264+ experiences, ranging from cooking classes at roughly USD 35 per traveler to multi-day eco-lodge expeditions at USD 1,450 per person, all priced on a per-unit, pay-as-you-go basis. Revenue is generated through transaction commissions on bookings plus a Lokal Explorers affiliate program that pays bloggers, creators, and influencers for referred bookings. Complementary, non-transactional products include the award-winning 48-minute documentary "2.5% - The Osa Peninsula," a Learning Center with 180+ SEO-optimized articles, and a Stories blog. The platform supports five languages (English, Spanish, German, French, Dutch). Strategic partnerships with Tourism Cares, Sustainable Travel International, The Travel Foundation, Hosteling International USA, Conscious Capitalism LA, and Impact Travel Alliance underpin the sustainability positioning.

The company operates with a small team (1-10 employees) and has no disclosed institutional venture or growth-equity funding; ownership is founder-led under the legal name Lokal Travel, Inc. There is no parent company, no subsidiaries, no acquisitions, and no patents or formal certifications on record.

Name

Lokal

Legal name

Lokal Travel, Inc.

Website

https://lokaltravel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lokal is a Los Angeles-based online travel marketplace, founded in 2015, connecting conscious travelers with vetted local providers and community-owned stays for sustainable experiences primarily in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru, and Mexico, with revenue from booking commissions and an affiliate ambassador program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Travel Marketplace

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural, Heritage & Arts Travel Agencies (THAKAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Destination/Activity Booking Marketplaces (Tours & Tickets Aggregators) (THAKAAAH)

Keywords

• Sustainable travel marketplace
• Community-based tourism
• Custom trip planning
• Eco-lodge booking
• Local experience platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Booking commissions: Lokal earns revenue through transaction fees on bookings made through the platform for experiences, lodging, and tours offered by vetted local providers and community-owned businesses.
2. Affiliate program: Lokal Explorers program allows bloggers, creatives, and influencers to earn income through affiliate commissions by promoting sustainable travel experiences.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lokal operates an online travel marketplace that connects conscious travelers with vetted local experts, community-owned stays, and curated sustainable experiences across more than 25 countries. The platform supports both self-serve booking of pre-designed experiences (eco-lodges, tours, cultural activities) and expert-assisted custom trip planning for Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru, and Mexico. Revenue is earned via booking commissions on transactions with vetted local providers, supplemented by an affiliate program for travel creators.

Product overview

Lokal is a travel marketplace connecting conscious travelers with vetted local experts, community-owned stays, and sustainable travel experiences. The platform operates primarily in four countries (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru, and Mexico) and offers a dual approach: custom trip planning where local experts design personalized itineraries, and pre-designed experiences for direct booking. Additional offerings include the Lokal Explorer ambassador program, the Learning Center educational platform, a Stories blog, and the 2.5% documentary film about the Osa Peninsula. The company emphasizes that at least 80% of travel spending goes directly to local communities, contrasting with industry averages of less than 5%.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Trip Planning Personalized trip planning service where local experts create custom travel itineraries based on user preferences, travel style, timing, and comfort level for destinations in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru, and Mexico. Aimed at conscious travelers seeking authentic, community-based experiences beyond generic tours.
• Pre-designed Experiences Marketplace Curated, ready-to-book travel experiences including eco-lodges, adventure tours, cultural activities, and community-based trips across 25+ countries, bookable directly online by conscious travelers.
• Lokal Explorer Program Ambassador and affiliate program for bloggers, creatives, and influencers to promote meaningful travel experiences, offering referral commissions, press opportunities, and cross-promotional initiatives with local partners.
• 2.5% – The Osa Peninsula Documentary Film 48-minute documentary film about sustainable tourism and community-based travel in Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula, directed by Lokal co-founders Eytan Elterman and Marco Bollinger. Funds raised support sustainable tourism projects worldwide; recognized as 'a globally important film' at the Santa Monica Independent Film Festival.

Quantifiable outcome

• At least 80% of travel dollars spent with Lokal directly benefits the communities visited
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tourism CarescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTourism Cares CEO Paula Vlamings provided a quote praising the documentary '2.5%' for communicating the importance of traveling differently for the planet's future. Tourism Cares supports sustainable tourism industry initiatives.
• Sustainable Travel InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEO Geoff Bolan called the documentary 'a compelling case for why sustainable, community-based tourism should be the future of the travel industry.' Sustainable Travel International promotes responsible travel practices globally.
• Hosteling International USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost Netanya Trimboli of Hosteling International USA described the film as 'honest and a necessary window into the story you haven't heard.'
• Anywhere.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization supporting the '2.5% - The Osa Peninsula' documentary production.
• KindtravelerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization supporting the '2.5% - The Osa Peninsula' documentary production.
• World NomadsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization supporting the '2.5% - The Osa Peninsula' documentary production.
• The Travel FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based sustainable tourism charity partner supporting the documentary about responsible travel.
• Impact Travel AllianceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization supporting the '2.5% - The Osa Peninsula' documentary production and sustainable tourism mission.
• Conscious Capitalism LAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting the '2.5% - The Osa Peninsula' documentary production.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Worldpackers: Community-based travel platform enabling stays and volunteering with local hosts. Adjacent in the conscious/community travel niche with overlapping audience.

Broad incumbents

• GetYourGuide: Global tours, activities, and attractions marketplace. Competes for bookings of guided experiences and tours, with much greater marketing budget and inventory depth.
• Viator (Tripadvisor): Major online tours and activities marketplace owned by Tripadvisor. Competes broadly for activity bookings in Lokal's destinations.
• G Adventures: Small-group adventure tour operator emphasizing local guides, community stays, and sustainable practices. A broader incumbent in community-based adventure travel.
• Airbnb Experiences: Online marketplace for bookable hosted experiences attached to the Airbnb brand. Major competitor in the online experiences space with vastly greater traffic and supply.
• Intrepid Travel: Largest B Corp-certified adventure tour operator with a focus on responsible travel. Much larger scale, but competes in the same conscious traveler segment.

Direct peers

• KimKim: Online travel agency that pairs travelers with local specialists to design custom, bookable itineraries. Closest analog to Lokal's hybrid self-serve + expert-assisted custom trip planning model.
• TourRadar: Multi-day tour marketplace aggregating 40,000+ tours from 2,500+ operators. Overlaps with Lokal's curated multi-day experiences and adventure trekking inventory.
• Local Alike: Community-based tourism marketplace connecting travelers with grassroots hosts in Thailand and beyond. Shares Lokal's 'tourism dollars to communities' thesis and curated local supply.
• Responsible Travel: UK-based travel agency curating holidays from small, locally owned accommodations and tour operators with a sustainability focus. Directly comparable mission and supplier model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/lokaltravels
• Xx.com/lokaltravels

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Lokal