GreenGo raises 1.2 million euros to pave the way for sustainable tourism

France: Eco-responsible booking platform GreenGo, which describes itself as “the eco-responsible Airbnb or Booking.com”, announced that it had raised 1.2 million euros during its first round of funding to show the way to sustainable tourism in France.

The capital was raised from 420 donors on the Lita.co investment platform, which claims to be the first impact investment platform connecting individuals and social entrepreneurs. Guillaume Jouffre, one of the startup’s four co-founders, says around 300 of the 420 donors come from the GreenGo community.

Having only went live in May last yearGreenGo was founded on the fundamental principle of going on vacation while reducing your carbon footprint.

Individuals who register to offer their accommodation on the platform must sign the GreenGo charter and are encouraged to meet 100 criteria inspired by eco-responsible labels, including layout, energy management, water management water, transportation, food, water shopping and supply, and low footprint heating, as well as . According to a press release from the company, each accommodation is “selected for its experience and the environmental approach of its guests”.

GreenGo also uses a business model which it claims is more “fair” than other more traditional booking platform alternatives, introducing a 10% commission which is paid solely by the host. On Airbnb, meanwhile, the host pays an additional 3.5% fee to the platform, while the guest is responsible for paying 14.5%.

By introducing this model, GreenGo believes it can support hosts in their transition to reducing their environmental and carbon footprint.

Since its launch, GreenGo has acquired its Dijon competitor Vaovert to consolidate its presence in France and has accumulated more than one million users and 2000 registrations to date. Talk to Les Echos Start, Jouffre said the startup has already “quadrupled the number of stays booked since January compared to the same quarter last year.”

A range of diverse accommodation types are offered through the platform, such as cabins, castles, chalets and bubble pods, aligning with Airbnb’s own diversification into unique accommodations through its new OMG! category launch in the business Summer outing in May.

Amid the lockdowns necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic, Jouffre and his three other co-founders [Mathieu Ravard, Félix Mézière and Antoine Valtat] aims to make people discover France more and to encourage them to take care of their environment. In April 2021, GreenGo launched the Ulule campaign, which raised €33,000 from 490 contributors, to help fund its launch and achieve its mission.

He is now in the process of creating a mobile application that will accelerate his expansion and enable the growth of the brand, his community and the product itself. Among the expected novelties, regular monitoring of hosts and the integration of a transport incentive package in its platform to further emphasize the importance of reducing its carbon footprint.

In addition, GreenGo aims to reach 10,000 customer stays booked on its platform in 2023.

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