Omio, which has completed its acquisition of Rail Europe, disclosed plans to expand its land-transport inventory and integrate its B2B operations. It will continue to position acquisitions as a pillar of its growth strategy, focusing on expansion into Japan and Southeast Asia and enhancing the booking experience in the AI era.
Omio, which has completed its acquisition of Rail Europe, indicated that it plans to integrate its B2C and B2B divisions and incorporate Rail Europe's inventory into its own product lineup. The B2C business is expected to be integrated relatively quickly, while the company will expand its agency business through its B2B service, Omio for Business.
Omio said the acquisition will enable it to expand its inventory outside Europe, while also strengthening connections with related areas such as accommodation and events, in addition to land transport. The company currently operates in 70 countries, and a substantial expansion of its inventory is expected to translate directly into bookings through travel agencies.
Regarding the competitive environment in Europe, Omio indicated that industry consolidation is likely to continue amid post-COVID shakeout and the spread of online booking, as the use of AI agents expands and regulation on price transparency is tightened. Omio identified approximately 12 acquisition candidates and said its ideal pace in the future would be approximately 1 acquisition every six months.
Omio indicated that it plans to use financing from Granite-Integral to develop the Asian market and accelerate expansion in Japan and Southeast Asia. It will pursue market penetration using Rome2Rio and initiatives to encourage repeat use by local travelers, while seeking to enhance the booking experience through AI agents.
Omio said its long-term goal is to handle all land-transport bookings through its own platform, covering both direct bookings and partner brands. AI agents have demonstrated their effectiveness in assisting with bookings, but the company said securing an integrated source of inventory information is key, and that it is continuing to pursue technology initiatives, including collaboration with OpenAI.