The Company is selling the St. Petersburg site for a global destination website, part of a network of over 100 sites around the world which has been running for around seven years and is at the forefront of mobile travel sites. Last year the network attracted 10 million visitors globally, this year it is on track to attract 12-13 million.
Visitors now rely not on printed guide-books but on up-to-date digital information accessed from tablet or smartphone to find out what to see, where to go, opening times, eating out, shopping etc. They are looking for trustworthy sites with reliable, up-to-date and ‘insider’ information. Local businesses are looking for ways to reach the maximum number of potential customers as quickly and efficiently as possible. This is a unique opportunity to acquire a pre-revenue business and create successful long-term relationships with clients in Russia’s tourist capital.
The St. Petersburg site has been developed and launched, which means the new owner can start selling on Day 1. It is media rich, with lots of digital content, photos, video, links to social media and smartphone applications. Revenues come from selling space on the site to local businesses keen to attract customers, whether hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs, spas, salons, museums, theaters, boutiques and other attractions. Market research suggests that local businesses are interested in the site due to its potential to attract non-Russian language visitors as well as the multimedia opportunities.
The franchise manages the SEO for Google in English as initially the site is targeted at English-speaking visitors, but in time Russian-language translation can be arranged and the site optimized for Runet. High levels of support are available from the franchise, providing real-time advice and digital processing all included in the monthly franchise fee, plus other value-add services for additional fees.