This year marks a significant milestone for Clio Muse Tours: our 10th anniversary. Ten years ago, Clio Muse Tours was founded upon two driving forces: fostering lifelong learning through accessible cultural stories and demonstrating that a successful company can thrive by prioritizing its people. We aimed to create a platform that not only unlocked the past through innovative technology, but also championed a workplace built on respect and well-being. 

Reflecting this commitment to unlocking knowledge for the future, our name, ‘Clio,’ is derived from the Greek words for ‘posterity’ and ‘key.’ This embodies our mission, while our company culture underscores our belief in the inherent value of every individual. 

Driven by these founding principles, we began with a small group of passionate individuals, and we now celebrate a decade of transforming it into a global platform, connecting millions to the rich history of cultural heritage. We stand as a thriving entity, thanks to the dedication, hard work, and firm belief of our team, partners, and customers.

A Look Back at Our Journey

Looking back, I am filled with immense pride for our team—a dedicated group of 40 passionate individuals who consistently develop their skills and contribute to a thriving global cultural ecosystem. With our audio tours available in 7 languages and a collection of over 600 tours, we’ve connected 3 million travelers with the captivating stories of archaeological sites, museums, and monuments across 30 countries. This is made possible by our extensive network of tour guides, historians, archaeologists, translators, and professional voice actors.

Our journey has been one of continuous evolution, marked by significant milestones. Our technological journey began in February 2014 at the Athens City Museum Vouros Eutaxias Foundation with the launch of our hybrid iOS and Android applications. Building on this foundation, we achieved a significant milestone in 2015 with the release of our native iOS and Android apps, marking a major step forward in user experience and platform capabilities. Over the years, we introduced a suite of tools designed to enhance both the creation and delivery of audio tours: from our  authoring tool and booking system, to the automation and delivery in the following years. 

We faced challenges, of course. We had to make tough decisions, prioritizing user needs over fleeting technological trends. The pandemic tested our resilience, but we emerged stronger, returning to our 2019 revenue levels by 2021. Expanding our global sales network and forging partnerships with leading travel and cultural platforms was another pivotal moment. Today, we proudly collaborate with over 50 cultural partners and more than 30 travel partners, fostering a collaborative approach that has fueled our growth, driving us to develop cutting-edge B2B solutions. One significant example of our dedication to our partners was in 2023, where we focused on supporting them by empowering them to offer branded audio tours under their own brand, streamlining their operations with automated ticketing and a dedicated admin portal. This evolution reflects our commitment to adapting to the needs of both travelers and our partners, a principle that has been central to our growth.

Key Milestones

Throughout this decade, key moments have shaped our journey:

• 2018 – We made our first partnership with GetYourGuide.
• 2018 – We received our first funding round from Uni.Fund.
• 2021 – We received recognition by the UN World Tourism Organization.
• 2023 – We upgraded our platform, allowing travel agencies to offer audio tours under their own brand & launched our first tours in the United States.
• 2024 – We launched our first tours in the United Arab Emirates, further extending our global reach.

Numerous awards acknowledging our impact and innovation.

Gratitude and Looking Ahead

Our core values – transparency, honesty, collaboration, responsibility, accountability, diversity, and a growth mindset – have been the basis of our success. We’ve learned that while ideas are essential, execution, perseverance, and patience, coupled with consistent loyalty to these values, are what truly drive impact. And none of this would have been possible without the incredible support of our employees, partners, and customers. Their dedication, trust, and feedback have been significant in our journey.

We are committed to our people, championing respect, open communication, and fostering a healthy work-life balance. We invest in their growth and celebrate their achievements.

Looking forward, we envision Clio Muse Tours as the ultimate destination for authentic cultural stories, empowering individuals globally to discover and appreciate our shared heritage. Building on a decade of expertise, we now extend this empowerment to businesses, enabling them to integrate branded audio tours into their offerings, fostering mutual growth.

Now, more than ever, the world needs cultural understanding. Culture is not just about the past; it is the key to our future. Only by understanding the stories, perspectives, and legacies of others can we truly appreciate their value. Culture has the power to connect us, to help us see beyond borders, and to replace division with empathy. 

To create a world of greater understanding and harmony, we must embrace the richness of human heritage. We will continue to share these stories because the more we know about each other, the closer we come to peace. And you can be a part of it. If you’re a business passionate about making a positive impact, a cultural institution looking to share your stories, or a tourism business wanting to enhance your offerings, explore collaboration opportunities with us at https://cliomusetours.com.

Thank you for being part of this journey!

Here’s to many more years of success and innovation!

Yiannis Nikolopoulos

CEO / Co-Founder

Clio Muse Tours