PlacePass is a team of entrepreneurs, travelers, and tech geeks. We opened our doors in 2016 with the mission of enabling people to easily search, compare, and book great things to do in any destination. In short: we’re in the business of fun.
PlacePass is led by co-founders Ethan Hawkes and Emily Bernard, who were inspired to build a business after decades of traveling and working in the hospitality industry. Their most memorable trips always included activities and excursions with great local guides, but finding those experiences took lots of time and research on multiple websites. There was no single aggregator keeping everything organized. So PlacePass was born.
For executive team bios, click here.
We’re here to help people have a great time. We believe that experiences – not things – are key to a happy existence. We’re proud to help create moments that build lifelong memories, whether our customers are traveling in a far-flung destination or looking for something new to do in the neighborhood. We’re excited to help people get out of their typical routines, discover great activities, and build new connections with friends and family.
Traveling (duh), Emily’s rescue pup Milo, summers in Maine, Bonneville Triumph motorcycles, meeting our PlacePass customers, Global Entry, foosball tournaments.
When your plane is early but the gate isn’t ready (why? WHY?!), no trips on the calendar, couch potatoes.
Co-Founder & CEO
Travel Bucket List
Early morning outing with a Maine lobsterman
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Zambia
Never Leave Home Without
Motorcycle keys in the summer. Snowshoes in the winter.
Co-Founder & Chief Brand Officer
Travel Bucket List
Night dogsledding in Alaska, below the Northern Lights
Most Recent Passport Stamp
China
Never Leave Home Without
A good book
Chief Technology Officer
Travel Bucket List
Great white shark dive
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Canada
Never Leave Home Without
USB stick
VP - Services Engineer
Travel Bucket List
Food tours at Siem Reap, Cambodia
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Cambodia
Never Leave Home Without
Headset, Wallet, and Cellphone
Marketing
Travel Bucket List
Riding elephants in Thailand
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Mexico
Never Leave Home Without
Earphones
Platform Engineer
Travel Bucket List
Driving on the Nurburgring
Most Recent Passport Stamp
UK
Never Leave Home Without
Probably saying "bye" to my dog
UI Engineer
Travel Bucket List
Watching the Northern Lights in a glass igloo
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Greece
Never Leave Home Without
A place to go, and then ending up somewhere else
Marketing
Travel Bucket List
Food tours in Argentina, hiking in Norway
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Barbados
Never Leave Home Without
A book
Marketing
Travel Bucket List
Abseiling down Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Czech Republic
Never Leave Home Without
My camera
Full-Stack Developer Intern
Travel Bucket List
Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and go on a Safari in Tanzania
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Madrid, Spain
Never Leave Home Without
Google Maps. I have a hopeless sense of direction.
Full-Stack Developer Intern
Travel Bucket List
Hiking the Kungsleden Trail
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Spain
Never Leave Home Without
A journal, a pen and a snack for later
Business Analytics
Travel Bucket List
Exploring Iceland
Most Recent Passport Stamp
UK
Never Leave Home Without
A sweatshirt
Marketing
Travel Bucket List
Sailing around Zanzibar
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Iceland
Never Leave Home Without
Taking a nap - gotta rest up before a big adventure!
Full Stack Developer Co-op
Travel Bucket List
Gazing the Northern Lights at Svalbard, Norway
Most Recent Passport Stamp
Germany
Never Leave Home Without
Shades and chewing gum
Chief Happiness Officer
Travel Bucket List
Labrador, Canada to explore my roots
Most Recent Passport Stamp
I'm still waiting to get my pawsport. Know anyone in Washington who can help a doggie out?
Never Leave Home Without
Leash (I know, it's so embarrassing)
We’re proud to partner with the leading companies in the tour and activity business. PlacePass brings together high-quality experiences from top websites like Urban Adventures, GetYourGuide, Viator, CityPASS, LivingSocial, Groupon, and others. From hop-on hop-off bus tours to private helicopter rides, we offer great choices for every budget and every kind of traveler.
We are dedicated to providing unparalleled service to our customers. Although we are an online travel company, we make it a point to not act like one- which means if you call or email us, you’ll actually hear back from a human. We know your free time is valuable, so we’re happy to answer your question and help you make the most of your travels.
PlacePass is proud to partner with EGBOK, a non-profit organization in Cambodia that trains underserved young adults to become hospitality industry leaders.
For every purchase made on PlacePass, we donate $1 to support students at the EGBOK school and training center in Siem Reap, up to $20,000 annually. To learn more, please click here.
