# Klook Cofounder Ethan Lin Eyes U.S. Market for Asia's Travel Giant One of Asia's largest travel platforms targets American travelers for expansion. - **Source:** [Fortune | FORTUNE](https://brifing.si/source/769282ef-327a-4454-909a-3c7936216004) - **Published:** 2026-07-15 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/058cee75-9837-48e3-8a7c-da327639279b ## The Founding Story of Klook Inspired by their challenging Nepal trip, Ethan Lin and Eric Gnock Fah founded Klook after quitting investment banking careers. Recognizing gaps in travel planning, they launched the platform in 2015 with third co-founder Bernie Xiong, creating one of Asia's largest travel platforms. ## From Asia to Global Expansion Klook initially focused on independent travelers in Asia-Pacific, growing rapidly through their 'FITs' demographic and achieving unicorn status in 2018. Now the company is capitalizing on increasing interest from Western travelers to expand its global footprint. ## Focus on the U.S. Market Klook's gross transaction volume outside Asia grew 13.4% over three years. The platform sees particular potential with West Coast Americans traveling to Asia, whom CEO Lin identifies as a key demographic in one of their largest markets. ## IPO Plans and Financial Status Klook filed for a NYSE IPO in late 2025 but delayed to early 2026 due to market conditions. The company reported $407.4 million revenue with $141.5 million loss in the first nine months of 2025, holding less than 1% of the global experiences market. ## Targeting Young Travelers Klook specifically targets millennials and Gen Z travelers who prioritize unique experiences and are heavily influenced by social media. The platform collaborates with over 30,000 content creators to capitalize on this trend. ## Shifting Travel Trends Asian outbound travel grew 32% from 2023-2024 according to Visa. Post-pandemic, travelers increasingly seek life-enhancing experiences. India and China are becoming major sources of outbound tourists as their middle classes expand. ## Klook's Future Vision Klook plans to strengthen its brand through creator collaborations like the 'Kreatorverse' summit. By focusing on young travelers and innovative experiences, the platform aims to shape travel trends and continue its global expansion. ## Sources covering this story - https://fortune.com/2026/07/15/klook-ethan-lin-us-asia-travel-tourism-ipo/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._