Wayn: lastminute.com acquires social travel network WAYN to boost content offering

Online travel firm lastminute.com has acquired social travel network WAYN in a move intended to enhance its content offering across the group's European travel sites.As part of its strategy to help advertisers tell integrated stories through powerful content, WAYN will be integrated into lastminute.com group's new media business, The Travel People.The acquisition is intended to boost lastminute's ability to engage a young and captive audience with the addition of WAYN's 20 million registered members.The Travel People arm of the business helps brands and advertisers reach European travellers through its network of leading brands which include lastminute.com, Rumbo, Volagratis, Bravofly and Jetcost. Through the acquisition the group is expected to increase its 43 million unique visitors every month.Marco Corradino, chief audience architect of lastminute.com group, said: "WAYN is the perfect fit for lastminute.com group. The WAYN team is a group of exceptional entrepreneurs who have created a vibrant community of travellers who enjoy sharing millions of travel opinions. Its business complements and expands our offering in Europe and, with its strong social travel network platform, it will become the content hub for our entire group."Peter Ward, WAYN, co-founder and chief executive added: "We're really excited to become part of the lastminute.com group which will help us deliver our mission to help people make the most out of life, by inspiring people to travel more."