WATCH: Gozo Has Its First Ever Bitcoin Tourist
A new Gozo-based travel agency offering package holidays paid solely with Bitcoin has managed to attract its first two tourists.
Bitcoin Adventures, the brainchild of local Bitcoin start-up Ivaja, is a new travel agency which aims to attract cryptocurrency-paying tourists to Gozo in exchange for both relaxing and adventurous tailor-made trips.
“Bitcoin is better money because there is no central bank, no inflation and no transaction fee involved, and sending money just involves two people and a smartphone,” the company’s co-founder Leon Siegmund said in the agency’s promotional video. “The problem is that nobody uses Bitcoin so nobody thinks it works, and because nobody thinks it works, nobody uses Bitcoin.”
“We are trying to disrupt the status quo here. You can now book an amazing adventure holiday in Gozo and pay with Bitcoin, so the local merchants get more bookings and revenue and start seeing Bitcoin as better and beautiful banking.”
Now, the travel agency has managed to attract its first ever tourists – Japanese man Takeshi *, who works as an infrastructural support engineer for a financial firm in Tokyo, and his wife.
Takeshi said his interest in Malta was piqued after he stumbled upon online pictures of the Blue Lagoon and street cats.
However, instead of contacting a regular travel agency, he and his wife booked a kayaking trip and three-night stay in Gozo organised by Bitcoin Adventures.
In an interview with the travel agency, Takeshi said this was his first ever Bitcoin holiday but doesn’t intend it to be his last one.
“Bitcoin payment is becoming popular in Japan because multiple retail outlets have started to accept Bitcoin payment,” he said. “If this method is applicable for my future trips, I would like to make use of it as much as possible”.
* Takeshi’s surname has been removed at his request
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