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#4

Other Business in the Travel Niche

OtherListed on Empire Flippers· Jul 15
$972.1K
Asking Price
$53.9K/mo
Monthly Revenue
$20.3K/mo
Monthly Profit
4.0x
Profit Multiple
10 years
Business Age

Why We Picked This

A mature two-sided marketplace generating $53.9K/mo profit on $972K asking price (4.0x multiple) with verified 37.5% margins and a decade of operating history. The 1.5x revenue multiple is attractive, and the curated model with 40+ vetted operators and 750+ Trustpilot reviews signals durable traction. However, the 4.0x profit multiple is at the ceiling of acceptable for marketplaces, and critical operator retention, customer churn, and organic vs. paid acquisition data are not disclosed—typical red flags for two-sided platforms where supplier concentration or reliance on marketing spend can mask underlying durability.

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Strengths

  • Verified financials with 100% data quality score: $53.9K/mo profit, 37.5% margins
  • Exceptional valuation on revenue basis (1.5x) though profit multiple at market ceiling (4.0x)
  • Established 10-year operating history with 40+ active guides, 90+ curated experiences, and 750+ Trustpilot reviews signaling customer satisfaction and supplier relationships
  • Commission-based model without inventory risk—typical SaaS-like economics for marketplaces
  • Modern cloud-native architecture reduces technical debt risk
⚠️

Things to Investigate

  • !Profit multiple of 4.0x is at the top end of acceptable; any hidden churn or customer concentration would justify higher discount
  • !Critical metrics missing: operator retention/churn, customer LTV, CAC and paid vs. organic acquisition breakdown—standard risk in two-sided platforms
  • !No disclosure of top-operator concentration—if top 5 guides represent >30% of GMV, single departures could materially impact revenue
  • !Payment processing and fund distribution outsourced to third party—operational independence and fee transparency unknown

Evidence & risk flags

Evidence 100/100
Traffic or algorithm dependency
AI-era acquisition decision

Buy vs Build: BUY

72
AI-native cash cost
$35.0K$65.0K
Estimated time
16 weeks
Asking price
$972.1K

The core software—booking engine, operator dashboard, customer portal, reviews, payment integration—is technically reproducible by a solo founder in 14–18 weeks using modern AI-assisted development (Cursor, Claude, managed hosting, Stripe/PayPal APIs, third-party review platform). Build cost including AI subscription and infrastructure: $35K–$65K. However, the 10-year operating history, curated operator relationships (40+ vetted guides), established SEO/discovery position in a competitive vertical, and verified $53.9K/mo profit with 750+ Trustpilot reviews represent substantial traction and distribution assets that cannot be easily replicated. A new entrant starting from zero would face 18–24 months of operator recruitment and customer acquisition before reaching breakeven, while paying for traffic the entire time. The existing business's operator network and customer review history justify acquisition at this multiple—purchasing traction and market position outweighs the modest software rebuild cost.

Cash estimate includes the AI tools, APIs and infrastructure needed for a solo founder to recreate the software. Build time is informational and lightly weighted. The verdict is driven mainly by customers, users, verified earnings, retention, distribution, brand, data and operating history.

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Financial Snapshot

$647K
Annual Revenue
$243K
Annual Profit
$53.9K
Monthly Revenue
48 mo
Est. Payback
Profit Margin38%
📋

Business Overview

This listing is for a two-sided curated platform business that connects consumers and travelers with independent providers of guided outdoor experiences, adventure trips, and activity-based tourism through a fully integrated booking and management platform. The platform enables guides and tour operators to create, manage, market, and fulfill experiences while providing customers with a streamlined discovery, reservation, payment, and review process. Built on a modern cloud-native architecture designed for scalability and reliability, the business has developed a curated portfolio of more than 90 active experiences offered by over 40 vetted guides and tour operators. The company focuses on demand generation and earns commission-based revenue without assuming inventory or operational risk, supported by a third-party partner that manages payment processing and fund distribution to operators. The platform benefits from exceptional customer satisfaction, with more than 750 Trustpilot reviews and over 90% of reviews rated 5 stars. Traffic is generated through a diversified acquisition strategy consisting of organic search (approximately 30%), paid advertising—primarily through social media (approximately 50%)—and direct and email marketing (approximately 20%). The business also achieves a strong return on advertising spend, with social media campaigns generating ROAS in excess of 5x. The owners collectively dedicate approximately three hours per week to the business, primarily overseeing employees, monitoring performance, setting strategic direction, and handling occasional administrative matters. Day-to-day operations are supported by two full-time employees, a part-time contractor, and a small network of specialized freelancers, with the full-time team expected to remain with the business following a sale. This represents an attractive opportunity for Buyers seeking a scalable marketplace business in the travel and tourism sector, supported by strong customer and supplier relationships, a proven marketing engine, and significant opportunities for expansion into additional geographic markets, particularly the United States. Disclaimers: The Seller also owns four content websites operating in adjacent travel-related niches. These websites publish informational content about popular destinations and activities and are monetized through affiliate marketing, display advertising, and relationships with select tour operators. They do not function as booking platforms and are not considered direct competitors to the business being sold. This disclosure is provided for transparency, as the sites may occasionally generate travel-related inquiries. Continued use of the business's third-party payment processing provider will require the Buyer to complete the provider's standard Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) verification procedures following the transfer of ownership. Owner works ~4 hours/week. Reason for sale: The Seller would like to explore other opportunities. Growth opportunities: Expanding short-break active adventures across UK and Europe for existing customer demand; Entering the US market with North American trips and tailored offerings; Scaling paid advertising during peak booking season to capitalize on strong ROAS; Optimising checkout with upsells and CRM personalisation to increase conversions and order value

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Quick Facts

🏢
Type
Other
📅
Age
10 years
🏪
Source
Empire Flippers
📌
Listed
Jul 15, 2026

Deal Score

78
Strong Deal
Evidence confidence100/100
4.0x
Fair Multiple
Asking$972.1K
MRR$53.9K/mo
Profit$20.3K/mo
Profit Multiple4.0x
Age10 years
View on Empire Flippers

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Preliminary screening based on marketplace and public data. Verify all financial, legal, technical, customer, and operational claims independently before making an acquisition decision. This is not financial or legal advice.