Klook eyes U.S. boost as travel platform eyes post‑IPO growth

Ethan Lin, co‑founder and CEO of Klook, says the United States is poised to become a catalyst for the Asian travel‑booking giant’s next growth phase. After a rocky start in Nepal that convinced Lin and partner Eric Gnock Fah to quit investment banking, they built a mobile‑first platform that captured the “FIT” (foreign independent traveler) segment and hit unicorn status in 2018.

Klook and the U.S. market opportunity

Today, about 80% of Klook’s users reside in Asia‑Pacific, yet the share of Western customers has risen steadily, with gross transaction volume from outside the region climbing ↑ 13.4% over the past three years. Lin points out that West‑Coast Americans now rank Asia as their top outbound destination.

“The U.S. is actually one of our largest markets, especially as Americans are taking a growing interest in APAC destinations,” Lin told Reuters.

The company filed for a New York Stock Exchange listing last November, targeting a raise of $300‑$500 million. A month later, the debut was postponed to early 2026 after peer Bloomberg reported weak IPO performance at Navan.

Financials remain thin: in the first nine months of 2025 Klook posted a loss of ↓ $141.5M on revenue of $407.4 million, according to an SEC filing.

Strategically, the firm leans into Gen‑Z and millennial travelers, who prioritize authentic activities over traditional attractions. A recent Travel Pulse survey shows nearly 60% of tourists rely on social media, with TikTok and Instagram driving discovery.

To capture that buzz, Klook launched a creator programme in 2023, now boasting over 30,000 “Kreators” across 88 markets and a “Kreatorverse” summit that blends content production with partner networking.

Asian outbound travel is surging; Visa data shows a 32% jump from 2023‑24 and another 25% year‑on‑year rise in Q1 2025. Nations like India and China fuel this wave, reshaping demand for experiences worldwide.

Looking ahead, Klook is betting on AI. An AI shopping assistant for consumers and a merchant co‑pilot are slated for Q3 rollout, promising smoother bookings and higher conversion rates.

The company’s next move hinges on securing a U.S. listing and converting the growing appetite for Asian adventures into sustainable profitability—a challenge Lin admits he meets day by day, still feeling like “day one.”

For a deeper dive into how the pandemic reshaped travel behaviours, see our related analysis.

Dispatch from: Chloe Winters

Venture Capital & Innovation Reporter