In the Media
Interviews, articles, quotes, and media coverage spanning travel, tech, tourism, entrepreneurship, investment, and the realities of building and growing businesses across Africa.
The biggest source of revenue is not the tax on the flight ticket. It is the money tourists spend once they arrive. If tourism…
Mombasa bets big on MICE (Tourism Update)
“Mombasa’s tourism economy is far more diversified. While the once-strong leisure segment of this coastal gem has stagnated or even declined, Mombasa is soaring…
Is Nairobi building too many hotels? (Tourism Update)
“Hotel investors do not think short term,” he said. “Anyone saying Nairobi is overbuilding hotels is not looking at the long-term trends.”
Young Kenyan Businessman Partners with Foreign Investors to Unveil KSh 2b Luxury Homes in Gigiri
“This will be Gulf Hotels Group’s first project in Kenya, and I must say it is incredibly exciting to be part of a development…
Launch of Silva Gigiri (KTN)
“Kenya is standing out with the quality of its hospitality. That was already the case. This is a step up to the next level”
Kenya tourism grows but gaps remain
“It is good news that international arrivals are increasing but Kenya should be aiming much higher,” he said. “Going from 2.5 million to 2.7…
Just 21 and American, IShowSpeed Shows How to Market Africa Tourism
“Beyond the familiar wildlife and beaches narrative, especially in East Africa, the tour reflected vibrancy, creativity and the energy of Nairobi, helping break the…
Green light for TUI Mombasa charter
“This is what we have been calling for: more competition, more direct flights and lower fares,” he said. “That is how you grow coastal…
Malindi airport overhaul gets fresh momentum
“Extending the runway, upgrading the terminal and enlarging the apron are key to attracting direct international flights. Malindi, Watamu and Mambrui could see a…
How rise of fake eTAs is hurting Kenya’s tourism
“If Kenya wants to compete seriously, it needs to remove barriers. Simplicity always wins”, Bauck says.
Tourism weighs impact of Tanzania unrest
“Instability is never positive for a tourist destination,” says Håvar Bauck, Founder of Hotel Online. “Tanzania generally has a very positive international image and…
Private sector drives Kenya’s MICE comeback
“With the right mix of affordable airfares, improved infrastructure, and investor-friendly policies, Kenya can reclaim its place as a regional MICE powerhouse – and…
Kenya to overhaul ‘Magical Kenya’ brand (Tourism Update)
“Kenya has a fairly strong international brand already but it needs modernisation and expansion,” said Håvar Bauck, Founder of HotelOnline. He argues that, although…
Diani Airport upgrade: Game changer for Kenya’s coastal tourism
Bauck pointed to Zanzibar as a success story where liberal air access has resulted in return fares from Nairobi dropping to as low as…
Making of a hospitality tech powerhouse
“Africa is vast, fast-growing, and still underserved by technology tailored to its unique hospitality landscape. Our priority is to strengthen our presence in key…
Kenya embarks on crucial classification exercise
“Reliable classifications help increase trust, which is key for the image of any tourist destination.”
Digital nomad permit set to boost Kenya’s growth
“My qualified guess is that the coast, in particular, stands to benefit but we never really know which places become popular. We may also…
Kenya to leverage latest World Heritage Site
Havar Bauck, Founder of Hotel Online, says: “UNESCO World Heritage status is an official recognition by the United Nations that a site is among…
Håvar Bauck Portrait Interview (Finding Humans in Tech)
‘This whole continent represents endless opportunities, and at a personal level, the people’s energy for life and ambitions is on another level. The innovations…
Our guest house business started in Syokimau, now it’s thriving across Africa
It may be a cliché, but it is also true: Follow your heart, but have a plan. Go for what you are passionate about,…
From Starting Kenya’s First Airbnb To Building Digital Revenue Platform For Hotels (Capital Business)
First and foremost, a business is all about people. You achieve success through the people you build, and your company will only get as…
Kenya’s HotelOnline, Backed by Yanolja, Buys Hotel Software Brand HotelPlus (Skift)
“Through this merger, we are significantly increasing our client base, while capitalizing on the combined strengths of both companies, creating a force to reckon…
HotelOnline Acquires HotelPlus to Accelerate Expansion Across Africa (Phocuswire)
“Through this merger, we are significantly increasing our client base, while capitalizing on the combined strengths of both companies, creating a force to reckon…
Prises til en kvart milliard (Finansavisen)
Vårt største oppkjøp noensinne, sier Håvar Bauck, gründer i HotelOnline. Nå vokser det norskeide selskapet i afrikansk reiselivssektor.
Kenya’s HotelOnline acquires hospitality software company HotelPlus (TechCrunch)
“Because the HotelPlus client-base currently uses on-premise software, this creates a unique integration opportunity with our cloud solutions…We are creating a massive win-win situation…
South Korean unicorn Yanolja invests big in Kenya traveltech HotelOnline (The Exchange)
“Backed by this investment, we can seize more of the present opportunities to drive the transformation of travel and hospitality in Africa,” says Havar…
Får inn Softbank-selskap på eiersiden (Finansavisen)
Vi vokser sterkt i ferieparadiset Zanzibar. Dette er en fantastisk tid for å ekspandere. Bransjen våkner til liv etter pandemien og er blitt mer…
Kenyan Travel-tech introduces travel enticement in post-pandemic era (The Exchange)
With the Africabookings acquisition, we have greatly increased the number of hotels using our marketing and distribution solutions. As a result, we are now…
A look at Foodledoodle, Kenya’s premier cloud kitchen
“By leasing some of the idle capacity, we give these hotels the opportunity to increase their return on investment on the prime space and…
Transforming Africa’s hotel industry (Intro Africa)
I’m passionate about our work in the Hotel industry. I see that what we’re doing, it drives an improvement everyday, we are actually changing…
Kenyan travel-tech HotelOnline on major onslaught of the African market (The Exchange)
Havar Bauck is excited about these new acquisitions terming them as very good business.: “This is a very exciting deal for us. We have…
Key Butler slår seg sammen med afrikansk hotellkjempe: Vil kapre utleiemarkedet (Shifter.no)
Shifter covered how HotelOnline and Key Butler joined forces to launch Stay.Plus, a new company targeting the Nordic short-term rental market. The article also…
HotelOnline Raises $320,000 from TRK Group, OYO Rooms early investor Shravan Shroff among others (Techmoran)
“We will use the investment to bolster our existing products and strengthen our focus on delivering outstanding quality to our hotel partners. We will…
Norwegian Håvar Bauck’s Kenyan startup HotelOnline announces it’s raised $320k (Ventureburn)
Håvar Bauck, the Norwegian entrepreneur who hit the news earlier this year over his dealings with controversial Polish tech entrepreneur Marek Zmyslowski announced yesterday that…
Putter penger i afrikansk hotellbooking (Finansavisen)
Article in Finansavisen, a leading Norwegian business daily, about our 2019 investment round. We raised USD 320,000, with renowned Norwegian startup investor Trond Riiber…
Kenyan companies leads with travel-tech for hotels in Africa (The Exchange)
Cloud9XP is one of the most exciting ventures in the African traveltech space at the moment. The merger with Heartbeat Ventures creates a new,…
Norwegian Håvar Bauck behind Cloud9xp merger in Kenya (Ventureburn)
We have now concluded a merger between Cloud9XP and Heartbeat Adventures, a more traditional tour operator, to launch an aggressively fast-growing, tech-enabled tours and…
Kenya’s safari marketplace Cloud9XP acquires competitor Heartbeat Adventures, goes into flight & hotel bookings (Techmoran)
“The merger with Heartbeat Ventures creates a new, disruptive force in an industry begging for innovation. Hotel distribution has moved online, but tours and…
HotelOnline conquers Africa from Kenya (The Exchange)
“In terms of expansion, our current markets already have a combined population of 700 million people! We want to make sure we are the…
Tar norsk reiseteknologi til Afrika (Finansavisen)
Den polske teknologien er fortsatt en del av kjernen i det vi tilbyr hotellene, men i den nigerianske delen, fant vi mye rølp og…
Travel tech start-up HotelOnline’s Co-Founder Havar Bauck on a merger that almost went wrong (Innovation in Africa)
Article in SmartMonkeyTV, published on 2018-04-01 Travel tech start-up HotelOnline’s Co-Founder Havar Bauck on a merger that almost went wrong and fundraising global expansion…
Founder Håvar Bauck on building HotelOnline to become a booking stalwart (Techweez)
Entrepreneurship is like being in love. You just know it when it feels right. Be bold, but don’t rush it. There is no point…
Local Go Global! African hotels equipped with a new business engine (TravelDailyNews)
Havar Bauck, Executive Chairman of HotelOnline said: “These are truly exciting times! With the merger process behind us, we are a stronger and more vibrant…
HotelOnline Opens in Nigeria After Merger with Savanna Sunrise (Nigeria Communications Week)
We are already making aggressive inroads into the Nigerian market, as we plan for continent-wide expansion over the next 24 months. Our ambition is…
HotelOnline announces merger, appoints former Jovago head as Nigeria’s country manager (Innovation Village)
“We are a stronger and more vibrant company than ever, with an amazing team. We are already making aggressive inroads into the Nigerian market,…
Nordmenn tar føringen i afrikansk hotellbooking (Finansavisen)
I was featured in Finansavien, a leading Nowegian business daily, about Savanna Sunrise rising in African markets. At this time, we had successfully built…
HotelOga and Savanna Sunrise merge, plot travel tech domination in Africa (Phocuswire)
“With this merger, we are writing a new chapter in the evolution of the hospitality sector in Africa. “From the position we are building,…
Voldsomme protester mot Joseph Kabilas forsøk på å bli sittende i presidentstolen (Aftenposten)
Det har vært ganske kraftige opptøyer i dag, sier nordmannen Håvar Bauck, som befinner seg på et hotell i Kinshasa. Han har fått innstendig…
Ringer til Kina for 13 øre/min (tek.no)
Tek.no quoted me in my Ipdrum days on how Voicelink could slash the cost of international and roaming calls, in a piece focused on…
Ring gratis med mobilen (DinSide)
Med vår Mobile Skype-løsning, kan du ringe gratis med mobilen, via Skype – og omtrent gratis til utlandet, sier Håvar Bauck, salgsansvarlig for Vest-Europa…
Håvar er såpestjerne i Kenya (Dagbladet)
I was featured in Dagbladet about my experiences as an actor in Kenya. During my one-year exchange program in Nairobi (2002-2003), I acted at…
U-hjelp til selvhjelp (Computerworld)
I was featured in Computerworld Norge in 2002 in a piece about moving to Kenya through the Fredskorpset programme to build international experience. It…
Møte med farfars helvete (Dagbladet)
I was featured in Dagbladet in a deeply personal piece marking 50 years since the liberation of Auschwitz. I was 18 at the time,…