NextTrip, Inc. announced that it has acquired a controlling interest in YADA Commerce Inc., a fully licensed TikTok Partner Agency that provides creator recruitment, Influencer Marketing, livestream commerce, and music artist promotional services.

The acquisition positions NextTrip to connect its existing travel booking infrastructure with YADA’s creator networks, which collectively reach audiences measured in the billions across social media platforms. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed in the announcement and will be detailed in a forthcoming Form 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Expanding Into Creator Commerce

YADA operates as what the company describes as creator-commerce infrastructure, offering brands and partners access to creator onboarding, training, activation, affiliate management, and audience development capabilities. The platform’s status as a licensed TikTok Partner Agency gives NextTrip direct entry into TikTok’s commerce ecosystem at a time when the platform is expanding its transaction capabilities.

Industry estimates cited in the announcement project TikTok Shop gross merchandise volume to exceed $100 billion globally in 2026, supported by more than 15 million active creators and over 100,000 affiliate participants. TikTok has also recently launched TikTok GO in the United States, a feature enabling users to discover and book hotels, attractions, and tours directly within the app through partnerships with Booking.com, Expedia, Viator, GetYourGuide, Tiqets, and Trip.com.

As part of the transaction, YADA founder Chad Doher joins NextTrip as EVP of Entertainment, leading a newly established Entertainment and Creator Commerce division. Doher will oversee creator partnerships, Influencer Marketing, music artist promotions, fan engagement, and experiential travel programs across NextTrip’s portfolio.

“The future belongs to companies that can own attention, community, and commerce simultaneously,” Doher said. “By combining creators, entertainment, fan engagement, experiential travel, commerce, and media under a single platform, we have the opportunity to build a category-defining company that connects inspiration directly to transaction on a global scale.”

Music Events and Fan Travel Packages

YADA has already secured commitments for four destination music events featuring exclusive artist partnerships and fan experiences. NextTrip will serve as the travel fulfillment partner for these events, drawing on its group travel capabilities through TA Pipeline, luxury offerings through Five Star Alliance, concierge services, and its NXT2.0 booking platform.

Doher said each event program has the potential to generate more than 250 fan travel packages, including accommodations, transportation, VIP experiences, and exclusive access.

“YADA has already secured several artists for exclusive concert experiences and intimate fan events in unique destinations and premium venues designed specifically for super fans,” Doher said.

NextTrip CEO Bill Kerby said the acquisition adds a creator-side audience acquisition layer to the company’s existing media and travel assets, which include the JOURNY streaming network and Travel Magazine. JOURNY is currently in the process of expanding its global distribution and is expected to reach approximately 250 million connected TV, mobile, and online viewers as distribution partnerships continue scaling.

“We are building significantly more than a travel company,” Kerby said. “Our vision is to create a vertically integrated platform where content inspires discovery, creators drive engagement, communities build loyalty, and commerce converts attention into transactions.”

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