KIRKLAND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Steller, a platform that allows travelers to discover, connect and book based on experiences shared by their favorite creators, today announced the acquisition of Travel Mindset, a leading travel-focused influencer marketing company, and the addition of Rik van der Kooi to the company’s Board of Directors.
These additions will allow Steller to expand its offerings in the influencer marketing field, while bringing on new expertise to guide the company’s future vision of providing a more seamless experience throughout the travel inspirational and booking journey.
Influencer marketing is expected to be a $21.1 billion industry this year, and its importance in the travel sector is increasing, with as many as 84 percent of U.S. adults saying they use influencers as resources for travel recommendations. Tapping into this insight, Travel Mindset has been connecting influencers and brands in the travel space since 2012. The agency offers a full suite of services ranging from editorial, video and social media to event and campaign management. Its client base includes Fairmont Hotels, Celebrity Cruises, Under Armour and several state and national tourism boards.
As part of the acquisition, Harley Schachter, founder and CEO of Travel Mindset will join Steller as the company’s first Chief Revenue Officer. The expertise Steller gains through this acquisition is further bolstered by the addition of Rik van der Kooi to the company’s Board of Directors. Rik recently spent 11 years as the Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Advertising, where he led the company’s global advertising business. During his tenure at Microsoft, Rik played a key role in multiple acquisitions and industry partnerships and grew Microsoft Advertising to a $10 billion business.
Quotes
“The acquisition of Travel Mindset and the addition of Rik van der Kooi to our Board of Directors are two important milestones in Steller’s journey to connect inspiration to bookings. As travel picks up again in the wake of the pandemic, and as more people look to their favorite influencers when making travel decisions, we see a real need to evolve how destinations are discovered, planned and booked. We welcome Rik, Harley and the rest of the team at Travel Mindset as we continue deepening the value to our brand and travel partners, content creators and travelers alike.” -Pete Bryant, CEO, Steller
“Influencers are becoming increasingly important in the travel booking process, with many boasting more engaged audiences than traditional publishers. By joining the Steller team, we’ll be able to offer our clients an expanded global reach through Steller’s distribution network, improve our existing services and help travel marketers drive new sales.” -Harley Schachter, CEO, Travel Mindset / Chief Revenue Officer, Steller
“Steller is quickly becoming the go-to travel service for storytellers and experienced travelers alike. The acquisition of Travel Mindset is a great complement to that, and I look forward to supporting the team in scaling it to many more users and destinations.” -Rik van der Kooi
About Steller
Steller, founded in 2014 and headquartered in Kirkland, Wash., is the market leading travel discovery platform that seamlessly guides travelers from inspiration to planning and booking through the authentic experiences of their favorite creators. Steller's player distributes experiences in more than 1,000 destinations to a worldwide travel audience through their exclusive partnerships with leading search engines and travel booking sites. Nearly 5 million hotels from around the globe can be found and booked on the Steller app. Learn more at www.steller.co.
About Travel Mindset
Travel Mindset was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Chicago, Ill. The company’s brand authority in the travel-focused influencer marketing space is unmatched, which is why Travel Mindset can often be found speaking at events with Skift, eTourism Summit, the Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations (ESTO), and has been featured in The New York Times, Travel Weekly, Forbes, and Fodor’s Travel. Travel Mindset has worked with such tourism partners as Nevada, Memphis, Illinois, Grapevine (Texas), and with major brands including Fairmont Hotels, Celebrity Cruises and Under Armour.