Kenyan online safari-booking startup Tukio is offering 18 destinations across Kenya and Tanzania, and will soon be expanding into Uganda and Rwanda after securing angel funding earlier this year.
Disrupt Africa reported last December Tukio had launched a safari-booking platform that enables safari lodges, transportation providers and activity organisers to publish and sell their services directly and transparently to travellers.
Founded by Natalia Cubillos and Marina Cangelaris, the startup offers a seamless and informed booking experience to every traveller, allowing them to select all components of their trip separately, add them to a cart, and check-out entirely online.
“As opposed to most safari-booking options, Tukio allows users to dynamically generate their own quote by using our smart booking wizard, and book their safari directly online for the first time, without having to request and wait for a custom quote,” Cangelaris told Disrupt Africa.
“This has been achieved through multiple partnerships with local tour operators and accommodations, along with the Tukio Booking Wizard algorithm that is used to build the itineraries.”
Tukio started as a project at an Antler cohort in Nairobi, where the founders met and started exploring the space as a result of their own frustration when trying to book a safari. When the programme ended, the first version of the platform was launched as a pilot. Though Cubillos soon stepped back from the project, Cangelaris kept building, and Tukio is now available for 18 safari and beach destinations in Kenya and Tanzania.
She said the process of booking a safari has remained “in the 90s”, until Tukio came along.
“Users have to do extensive research, reach out to tens of lodges or tour operators, wait for quotes, and then compare them to understand what suits their needs. The best alternative is to use a travel agent and have them do everything, with little to no control over what is being booked,” Cangelaris said.
“While these were standard travel-booking practices in the last century, today’s generations are used to and expect to be able to choose what they want and book things online, something that has not existed for safari bookings. Other platforms similar to ours have gone half way, allowing people to build itineraries, but then still have to request a quote and follow a process that is very similar to the traditional travel agent.”
Tukio, on the other hand, solves these problems by creating a database of accommodation, activities and transportation options with pre-defined prices that are put together in an itinerary based on a user’s preferences. Users can make changes to the itinerary directly online and proceed to book it when they are satisfied.
“We collect payments online through secure international payment gateways, therefore allowing our users to feel confident about their booking. Of course as this is a very new concept in this industry and can seem “too good to be true”, our team is also available to answer any questions through our Whatsapp number, email or by booking a call with our team,” said Cangelaris.
For the major part of the first year the project was bootstrapped, with Tukio mainly re-investing revenues generated from our first bookings. But the startup recently raised an angel round to help it continue building out the platform, and is now targeting growth.
“While still in a pilot mode, we managed to generate traction from users who were looking for exactly what we were offering while spending very little on marketing. The feedback was very positive from the travellers who booked with us, as well as the local partners that chose to work with us. We are now gearing up for the holiday season as well as the 2025 season,” Cangelaris said.
Tukio will also soon be adding Uganda and Rwanda to its destination list, as it has had demand for the iconic gorilla treks, and its expansion plans for 2025 include Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.
Cangelaris said the startup operates like a typical online travel agency when it comes to its business model.
“We have agreements with each of our partners on the pricing of each item in our selection of accommodations, transportations and activities, and earn a markup or commission when those are added on an itinerary and booked,” she said.
