Discova

What Discova does

Discova is a B2B destination management company (DMC) operating across 11 countries in South, Southeast, and East Asia. The brand was formed in 2019 when Flight Centre Travel Group (ASX: FLT) acquired Buffalo Tours — a DMC established in Asia in 1994 — and rebranded the operating unit as Discova. The company is headquartered in Singapore under the legal entity Buffalo Tours (Singapore) Pte Ltd and employs 422 people, of whom 95% are locals based in and originating from the destinations they serve. Discova sells exclusively to travel trade partners — travel agents, tour operators, and online travel agencies — and does not operate a direct-to-consumer channel.

The core service portfolio comprises tailor-made itineraries, group series tours, educational travel (curriculum-linked student programs aligned with UN SDGs), day tours and transfers, and community development / corporate retreat projects. The product surface is supported by Discova Connect, an online booking portal providing B2B partners with self-serve access to inventory across Asian regions, and by a Safety Management System that conducts in-person supplier audits and risk assessments. Marketing and pre-sales collateral include destination inspiration guides for each market plus specialized brochures for luxury travel, signature experiences, and women-in-travel itineraries.

Discova's revenue model combines transaction fees on bookings made for partners with affiliate commissions from hotels, transport providers, and experience suppliers. Pricing is quote-based with a $300 USD per-person deposit (or 20% of booking value, whichever is higher) and full payment 30 days before departure. Distribution is led by regional account management teams covering EMEA, North America, and Australia/New Zealand, complemented by the Discova Connect portal and partnerships with sustainability and child-safety organizations (Path Net Zero, Think Child Safe). The company also runs the Eileen Yee Educational Fund, which targets 101 scholarships per year for disadvantaged Southeast Asian high school students.

Name

Discova

Legal name

Buffalo Tours (Singapore) Pte Ltd

Website

https://discova.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Discova is a B2B destination management company in Asia serving travel agents, tour operators, and OTAs across 11 countries. Owned by Flight Centre Travel Group, it offers tailor-made travel, group tours, and educational travel with a 95% local workforce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Management Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Tour Operators (561520)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAKAEAA

Inbound DMCs (Full-Service Ground Handling)

Travel & Hospitality/Travel Agencies, Tour Operators & OTAs/Local Tour Operators & Destination Services (DMCs)

SECONDARYTHAKAMAA

Managed Corporate Travel Programs (End-to-End TMC Services)

Travel & Hospitality/Travel Agencies, Tour Operators & OTAs/Corporate Travel Management Services

Keywords

• Destination management services
• B2b travel services
• Asia tour operations
• Ground handling services
• Travel trade services

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tour and Travel Services: Provides destination management services including tailor-made travel, group series tours, educational travel, day tours, and transfers across Asia. Revenue generated through booking fees and service charges on travel arrangements made for B2B partners.
2. Commission from Suppliers: Earns commission from hotels, transportation providers, and experience suppliers when bookings are made through the platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Discova is a B2B Destination Management Company (DMC) operating across 11 Asian countries, designing and delivering tailor-made itineraries, group series tours, educational travel programs, day tours, and transfer services for travel agents, tour operators, and OTAs. The company supports partners through its Discova Connect online booking portal, dedicated regional account management teams, and a comprehensive Safety Management System with in-person audits. Additional services include community development projects for corporate and educational clients, sustainability tooling including a Carbon Impact Correction Journey, and a portfolio of curated product lines such as Luxury Travel and Signature Experiences.

Product overview

Discova operates as a Destination Management Company (DMC) offering a portfolio of travel services across Asia. The core service offerings include Tailor-Made Travel (custom itinerary design), Group Series Travel (group tour facilitation with 30+ years of experience), Educational Travel/DET (transformative learning journeys aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals), Day Tours and Transfers (day experiences and transport), and Community Development Projects (CSR programs). These services are supported by Discova Connect, an online booking portal for B2B partners, and a Safety Management System providing audits and risk assessments. Discova also produces destination-specific Inspiration Guides, manages a Luxury Travel Collection and Signature Experiences product lines, offers a Women in Travel collection (launched 2018), and provides sustainability tools including a Carbon Impact Correction Journey (partnered with Path Net Zero) and a Local Life product line. The Eileen Yee Educational Fund provides scholarships to disadvantaged students in Southeast Asia. The company is owned by Flight Centre Travel Group (ASX: FLT) and was established in 2019, with roots tracing to Buffalo Tours founded in 1994.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tailor-Made Travel Custom itinerary design service where Discova's team works with B2B partners to create bespoke travel experiences tailored to specific client types and brand requirements across Asia.
• Group Series Travel Facilitation of complex group series tours with over 30 years of experience, providing account management and first-class service for group travel into Asian destinations for B2B partners.
• Educational Travel (DET) Transformative learning journeys creating educational experiences aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals, including curriculum-linked programs, community-based experiences, and faculty-led initiatives for student groups and educational institutions.
• Day Tours and Transfers Extensive range of high-quality day tours and seamless transfer services including airport pickups, inter-destination transport, and guided day experiences across Asian destinations, distributed to OTAs via Discova Connect.
• Community Development Projects Community-focused initiatives including CAS experiences, impact immersions, community health education, and CSR programs for corporate teams, run by the Educational Travel team.
• Discova Connect Online booking portal providing B2B partners with instant online booking functionality across Asian regions, accessible by region-specific login, used by travel agents and OTAs to access day tours and transfers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Preventing over 100,000 plastic bottles annually through environmental initiatives
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Think Child SafeminorOthersChild safety certification organization. Discova is a ChildSafe-certified provider with all staff trained in child protection policies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Intrepid Travel: Small-group tour operator with strong responsible travel positioning across Asia. Competes for educational and impact-driven group series tours; comparable operating model and customer overlap in experiential Asia travel.
• Khiri Travel: Southeast Asia-focused DMC offering tailormade and group tours with strong sustainability/responsible travel positioning. Direct competitor in similar destinations (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos) with overlapping B2B customer base.
• Asian Trails: Major inbound DMC operating across Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar). Competes directly with Discova for B2B partner ground services and tailor-made FIT/group series tours.
• Travel Bound: B2B tour operator with Asia product portfolio serving travel advisors. Comparable B2B-only distribution model and Asia-focused FIT/group business; direct competitor for travel agent bookable itineraries.
• Abercrombie & Kent: Global luxury DMC with deep Asia presence offering high-end tailor-made journeys and small-group tours. Comparable for premium Signature Experiences and Luxury Travel Collection product lines.
• Diethelm Travel Group: Established inbound DMC across Southeast Asia with a similar B2B model serving travel agents and tour operators. Direct head-to-head competitor for Asia ground handling and tailor-made itineraries.

Emerging players

• Klook: Asia-headquartered OTA and experiences marketplace with growing inventory of day tours, transfers, and activities. Increasingly competes with Discova for OTA partner-distributed day tour inventory across Asia.

Broad incumbents

• BCD Travel: Global corporate TMC operating at similar scale. Comparable in headcount, B2B distribution, and corporate travel programs; relevant for understanding how scaled managed travel businesses operate.
• Trafalgar (TUI Group): Large global escorted tour operator with significant Asia product. Indirectly competes for B2B partner itineraries and offers similar group series and FIT products, though at much larger scale and broader geographic coverage.
• CWT (Cognizant): Global corporate travel management company with Asia coverage. Comparable in B2B managed travel programs and corporate CSR/event offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Discovatravel
• Facebookfacebook.com/discovatravel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/discovatravel
• Instagraminstagram.com/discovatravel

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Discova