Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), Russia’s largest mobile operator and a leading provider of media and digital services, announced the acquisition of a 100% stake in Bronevik Online and Bronevik Company (Bronevik Group, one of the market leaders in online hotel booking). The acquisition is aimed at developing a new business line, MTS Travel, in the tourism industry.
MTS has started to develop its new business line through MTS Travel, a recently registered wholly owned subsidiary. MTS Travel will offer a service for booking hotels, other accommodation and tickets; provide tourist and excursion services; arrange the rental and leasing of vehicles, as well as the rental of recreation equipment; and organize sports activities.
MTS President and CEO Viacheslav Nikolaev
Tourism, business travel and hospitality in Russia are developing dynamically, and we expect these markets to grow rapidly in the coming years. For this reason, we are carving out a separate business vertical called MTS Travel—which will complement other areas of our business—in order to develop it in an integrated manner through one of the leaders in the Russian online hotel booking market. We expect that the combined expertise of MTS and Bronevik as well as the acquired companies’ access to big data technologies and artificial intelligence alongside MTS’s sales channels and financial opportunities will enable us to offer customers qualitatively new services for booking and accommodation as well organizing recreational activities and travel opportunities.