Manawa.com

Manawa.com, initially launched as Adrenaline Hunter in 2016, operates as an online marketplace specializing in outdoor and adventure activities. The company was founded by Maud Mathe, Philippe Bichet, and Denis Fayolle, who were brought together by their personal frustrations with the difficulty of finding and booking adventure sports online. Maud Mathe, with a background in marketing, and her sister first conceived the idea around 2013 after struggling to book various activities, a problem that crystallized for her on a beach in Cape Town while trying to arrange a kitesurfing lesson. Philippe Bichet, who has a decade of experience in investment banking, faced similar challenges trying to book a kayak trip in France. They teamed up with Denis Fayolle, a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of LaFourchette (TheFork), to bring the platform to life.

The business functions as a booking platform that connects adventure seekers with professional, certified activity providers across the globe. It serves a diverse international clientele, with customers from over 60 nationalities, who are typically sporty beginners, couples, or families. Manawa's revenue is generated through a commission-based model; the platform takes a percentage of each successful booking made through its site, with no setup or subscription fees for the activity providers. This model incentivizes the platform to effectively market its partners' services. In May 2022, Manawa was acquired by Alentour, a specialist in local tourism, with the goal of becoming a leader in the outdoor activities segment and further digitizing the market. Following the acquisition, Philippe Bichet was appointed B2C Director.

Manawa.com offers a vast catalog of over 8,000 activities, such as canyoning, paragliding, scuba diving, and dog sledding, supplied by more than 3,000 professional partners worldwide. The platform's key feature is simplifying the booking process, allowing users to find, compare, and reserve activities in minutes. For its partners, Manawa provides international visibility by translating activity pages into multiple languages, managing customer service, and offering integration with various booking software like Fareharbor and Bokun to automate and streamline reservations. The company aims to provide 5% to 15% in additional customers to its partners by leveraging digital marketing channels and promoting cross-bookings.

Keywords: outdoor activities, adventure travel, activity booking, extreme sports marketplace, online booking platform, experience booking, tour operators, canyoning, paragliding, scuba diving, skydiving, rafting, ski touring, adventure tourism, travel tech, activity marketplace, booking management, outdoor recreation, global activities, adventure experiences