What PADI Travel does

PADI Travel AG is a Swiss-incorporated private online travel marketplace that aggregates scuba diving vacations globally. The company operates the website travel.padi.com, which serves as the dedicated booking platform for PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), the world's largest scuba certification body, of which PADI Travel AG is a wholly owned subsidiary. The platform aggregates 268+ liveaboards, hundreds of dive resorts, dive centers, courses, and snorkeling activities across 40+ countries spanning the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, Middle East and Red Sea, Asia Pacific, Indian Ocean, Africa, North America, and Polar Circles. Customers range from first-time recreational divers seeking certification courses to advanced technical divers booking multi-day liveaboard expeditions, with additional support for group travelers (6+ guests) and private charter bookings.

The underlying technology is a web-based booking marketplace with real-time availability checking, secure multi-currency payment processing (supporting Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, and European methods including SEPA, Giropay, Bancontact, iDEAL, and EPS), user accounts for managing reservations, and curated themed verticals such as PADI Eco Center, Green Fins Partners, Adaptive Service Facilities, Premium Liveaboards, and Flexible Booking. A mobile app, PADI Adventures, extends the booking surface. The platform is supplemented by 24/7 human travel consultant support via live chat and phone, rather than AI-driven personalization.

PADI Travel generates revenue via marketplace commissions and transaction fees paid by operators on each confirmed booking; customers are not charged platform fees. Pricing is set by individual operators, with the company earning a take rate on intermediated volume. Distribution combines self-serve online booking, inside sales support for higher-value or complex itineraries, an affiliate program, and a significant structural advantage from referrals originating inside the PADI network of dive centers, instructors, and certified divers. Value-added services layered on bookings include complimentary dive accident insurance through a partnership with DAN for trips exceeding USD 2,500 per guest, carbon offset via The Ocean Foundation, and optional donations to PADI AWARE conservation grants.

Name

PADI Travel

Legal name

PADI Travel AG

Website

https://travel.padi.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PADI Travel AG is a Swiss-incorporated online marketplace that aggregates scuba diving vacations globally (268+ liveaboards, dive resorts, courses across 40+ countries), operating as the dedicated booking platform of PADI, the world's largest scuba certification body.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dive Travel Marketplace

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Diving Experiences (Scuba Dives, Dive Trips, PADI/SSI Courses) (THAJAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dive Centers & Scuba Training (PADI/SSI, certifications) (THAAAIAA), Cabin Charters & Shared Yacht Trips (THAEADAH), Dive & Snorkel Guides / Dive Masters (Boat-Based & Shore-Based) (THAAALAC)

Keywords

• Scuba diving vacations
• Liveaboard bookings
• Dive resort reservations
• Dive travel marketplace
• Scuba certification courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Booking Commission/Transaction Fees: PADI Travel acts as an intermediary platform between customers and independent dive service providers (liveaboards, dive resorts, dive centers). The platform enables bookings and charges fees for this intermediation service. Service providers set their own prices and cancellation policies.
2. Platform Services: PADI Travel does not charge customers for using the platform. Revenue is generated from service provider partnerships and booking commissions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PADI Travel operates an online scuba diving travel marketplace that lets customers browse, compare and book liveaboards, dive resorts, dive centers, fun dives, dive courses, snorkeling trips, group trips and private charters across more than 40 countries. Independent third-party dive operators list their inventory on the platform; PADI Travel earns revenue through booking commissions and add-on services such as dive accident insurance, carbon offsetting and conservation donations.

Product overview

PADI Travel is an online scuba diving travel agency operating a booking platform that connects divers with dive operators worldwide. The core offering consists of liveaboards (boat-based multi-day dive trips), dive resorts (land-based dive hotels), dive centers, diving experiences, dive courses, and snorkeling trips. The platform aggregates over 250 liveaboards in 40 countries and hundreds of dive properties across all continents. Additional offerings include group trip bookings for six or more guests with complimentary spots and discounts, and private boat charters for exclusive customized experiences. PADI Travel also curates themed collections including PADI Eco Center (eco-certified operators), Flexible Booking (flexible cancellation policies), Premium Liveaboards (luxury vessels), PADI Adaptive Service Facilities (accessible diving), and PADI Green Fins Partners (environmentally certified operators). The company acts as an intermediary, enabling customers to browse, compare, and book diving services through its online platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Liveaboards Multi-day boat-based diving vacations including accommodation, meals and diving services aboard a vessel, offering trips to dive destinations worldwide (268+ liveaboards available).
• Dive Resorts Land-based dive hotels and resorts providing diving access to nearby dive sites, typically including accommodation and organized dive excursions at hundreds of properties worldwide.
• Dive Centers Standalone dive shops and dive centers offering guided dives, equipment rental and diving services at various locations bookable individually.
• Diving Experiences Individual fun dives and guided diving activities at various destinations, bookable as single services for divers without committing to a multi-day trip.
• Dive Courses Scuba diving certification courses from beginner to advanced levels, including PADI eLearning options with digital access codes, available at dive centers worldwide.
• Snorkeling Snorkeling trips and excursions for non-divers available at diving destinations worldwide, bookable alongside or instead of dive experiences.
• Group Trips Pre-organized group bookings for six or more travelers with benefits including complimentary free spots, group discounts, and dedicated personal assistance to coordinate every detail of a shared diving trip.
• Private Charters Exclusive boat charter options allowing groups to book an entire vessel for a customized itinerary and personalized service, with approximately 100 private charter boats available worldwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• Access to 268 liveaboards in 40+ countries
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DAN (Divers Alert Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPADI Travel partners with DAN (Divers Alert Network) to offer complimentary dive accident insurance to customers booking trips exceeding $2,500 per guest. This insurance covers the duration of the diving trip and constitutes a direct contract between the customer and DAN.
• The Ocean FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPADI Travel partners with The Ocean Foundation to provide customers the option to offset carbon emissions from their diving travel through a diver-focused method that restores seagrass and mangrove habitats.
• PADI AWARE FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPADI Travel offers customers the option to donate to PADI AWARE's Community Grant Program at checkout, supporting global marine conservation initiatives including shark protection, ocean cleanup, climate change action, coral reef restoration, and marine protected areas.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Booking.com: Booking.com is a global incumbent OTA that lists dive resorts and hotels in dive destinations, often with aggressive promotional pricing. It does not specialize in diving but serves as a substitute booking channel for the resort component of dive vacations.
• Tripadvisor: Tripadvisor is a broad incumbent online travel platform that lists dive resorts, liveaboards and activities with user reviews and price comparison. While not dive-specialized, it competes for discovery and direct booking of the same dive-trip inventory.

Direct peers

• Dive The World: Dive The World is a UK-based online dive travel agency specializing in liveaboard and dive resort bookings across the Caribbean, Indo-Pacific and Red Sea. It mirrors PADI Travel's marketplace model and serves an overlapping certified-diver audience.
• Aggressor Adventures: Aggressor Adventures is a major liveaboard and dive resort operator that sells directly to consumers and through travel agents. It competes with PADI Travel both as inventory on the platform and as a direct booking alternative for divers seeking specific vessels.
• Bluewater Travel: Bluewater Travel is a US-based dive travel agency that books dive resorts, liveaboards and dive trips worldwide. It targets the same recreational scuba diver customer and competes head-to-head on inventory breadth, pricing, and expert agent support.
• Scuba Travel: Scuba Travel is a UK dive holiday specialist offering liveaboards, dive resorts and dive courses with agent-led booking support. It targets the same European and global certified-diver customer base as PADI Travel.
• Emperor Divers: Emperor Divers operates its own fleet of dive liveaboards in the Red Sea, Maldives and Indonesia while also acting as a dive holiday retailer. It overlaps with PADI Travel in both inventory sourcing and direct-to-consumer booking of dive vacations.
• Liveaboard.com: Liveaboard.com is a dedicated online booking platform for liveaboard dive vacations, directly competing with PADI Travel's core liveaboard offering. Both aggregate multi-day dive boat inventory globally and sell to recreational scuba divers via self-serve booking.
• Regaldive: Regaldive is a UK dive tour operator running group dive holidays and liveaboard trips worldwide, including popular Red Sea and Indo-Pacific destinations. It competes for the same dive-vacation consumer wallet as PADI Travel.

Emerging players

• Bookyourdive: Bookyourdive is an emerging online marketplace for booking individual fun dives and dive courses at dive centers worldwide. It overlaps with PADI Travel's dive-center and fun-dive categories rather than its liveaboard focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paditravel

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 PADI Travel