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6 Travel Startups to Watch in 2024: Newcomers in Travel Tech!

The travel industry has transformed with technological advancements in recent years, paving the way for innovative startups. I'll take you through all the exciting new travel startups and how it's reshaping how people explore the world! 

The travel industry has grown bigger, better, and faster thanks to modern-day technology. Recent tech advancements have brought many advantages, both for businesses and travelers.

New startups are changing how we plan, book, and experience our journeys. They offer many services and solutions catering to modern travelers' needs. 

Travel startups include everything from budget-friendly itineraries to sustainable accommodations. Today, I'll take you into some up-and-coming travel startups changing how we travel. Having worked for a handful of travel startups myself, I can take you through the ins and outs of these exciting new companies. Let's go! 

What is a Travel Startup? 

New to the game? Don't worry, I've got you sorted. Let's get straight into the basics. 

A travel startup is a new company that uses innovative technology to provide products or services for travelers. These startups generally try to improve travel experiences by addressing modern travel needs. 

Travel startups can cover a range of areas within the travel industry, including: 

• Booking platforms
• Itinerary planning
• Accommodations
• Transportation 
• Sustainable travel
• Experiences
• Travel tech startups

Nowadays, lots of people are looking for tech jobs that travel. Navan, Sabre, Tracki, Expedia, and G Adventures are some of the best travel tech companies to work for. 

Categories of Travel Startups 

If you're considering working at a travel startup, you may wonder what types of jobs there are. The category of travel startups can range considerably. Here are examples of different categories to expect when working at a travel startup:

Online Travel Agencies (OTAS) 

These platforms allow travelers to book flights, hotels, rental cars, and more through a single website or app. This is useful for those looking for a hassle-free, all-in-one experience. 

Travel agency startups use technology to provide unique and personalized experiences. They offer everything from  planning a trip  and booking services to equipment. Here are some of the key features and trends in travel agency startups:

• Online platform 
• Personalized itineraries 
• Local experiences 
• Streamline booking for flights, accommodations, activities, etc. 
• Sustainable travel 
• Real-time assistance 
• Social sharing 

Group Travel 

Group travel startups streamline the process of planning and coordinating group trips. This makes traveling together easier for families, friends, or colleagues. If you've ever planned a group trip, you'll know startup travel companies like these are game changers. 

Accommodation Services 

Startups in this category hone in on unique and alternative lodging options. They might offer vacation rentals, boutique hotels, or home-sharing platforms. 

Transportation Services 

Startups provide innovative transport options and solutions. These could include ride-sharing, car-sharing, and peer-to-peer car rental services.

Activities and Experiences 

These startups connect travelers with local experiences, tours, activities, and events. Generally, these startups offer experiences that go beyond traditional tourist attractions.

Travel Planning and Itineraries 

Travel startup companies help travelers to plan and organize their trips. Often, they use AI to create personalized itineraries. Many top tech travel startups are using AI and machine learning-based platforms. 

Sustainable Travel 

Sustainable travel startups are focused on promoting eco-friendly and responsible travel practices. Startups in this space include carbon offset programs, sustainable accommodations, and environmental conservation.

Digital Nomad Services 

Digital nomad travel companies address the needs of remote workers and digital nomads. They offer services like co-working spaces, accommodation, and networking opportunities.

Travel Startups to Watch in 2024!

Now that you know the basics, let's explore some top travel startups that's looking to disrupt and change the way we'll travel in the near future!

Pilot is a social travel hub (AI-Powered) that helps groups discover, plan, book, and share trips together in one platform.

Pilot helps save time and money, helping people make the most of every trip.COVID made people realize they crave more experiences in the real world, not more social media. Travel is a great way to deliver that, as purchase behavior focus continues shifting from assets to experiences.

The abundance of marketplaces and travel blogs have created a fragmented UX that underserves traveler needs.

Today, the trip planning process is tedious and costly (time/money/stress), especially as most people travel in groups (2+ people). Travel is inherently social, yet no one is doing collaborative planning well. Yet, competitors continue to put paywalls on basic features like file uploads, or feel like checkout carts. Tools like TripAdvisor’s planner (which most don’t know about) aren’t flexible enough to replace Google docs/sheets.

Unlike competitors, Pilot is personalized, flexible, fun and free, monetizing via bookings & related services rather than charging the user directly. Starting with a social trip planner, Pilot will learn and adapt to you, enabling you to go on more trips with friends and family while making more in real life memories togehter!

Founding year:  2020

Location:  Canada 

Category:  Trip planning / Social Travel / Consumer Software

TravGeo  taps into the power of geo-tourism. This lets travelers explore a location's unique natural, cultural, and historical features. TravGeo offers guided tours and experiences focusing on the environment of a place.

Location:  USA 

Category:  Travel tech  

YouLi is reinventing group travel! If you've ever tried to assemble a group trip, you'll understand how challenging it can be. This travel startup company streamlines the process of planning group trips. It offers a centralized platform known as the "member's area."

Organizers can manage bookings, payments, and communication in this virtual space. YouLi also offers a lot of group discounts and deals. This makes group travel easy and enjoyable for families, friends, and corporate teams.  

Founding year:  2016

Location:  Australia

Category:  Group tour management 

TravelPerk 

TravelPerk  is a not-so-new startup that's tailored to corporate travel management. It offers real-time booking, managing, analyzing, and everything in between. With TravelPerk, corporate travel is made easy. It also offers event organization, refundable bookings, flexible options, and travel assistance. 

Read more about them in our review of TravelPerk here!

Founding year:  2015 

Location:  Spain 

Category:  Travel tech 

Roadsurfer 

Roadsurfer  rents out customized camper vans in 13 different European countries. On top of the rental service, this travel startup offers additional options for each trip. You can choose from a large fleet of well-equipped Class B RV rental options with different styles, sizes, and models. 

Founding year:  2016 

Location:  Germany  

Category:  Transportation 

Tracki  is a tech travel startup that offers real-time GPS tracking solutions. It provides services for families, individuals, and businesses. 

Tracki's product range includes pet, asset, and GPS trackers. All of these can be monitored through an easy-to-use mobile app or website.  

Founding year:  2005 

Interesting Facts About Travel Startups 

Want to learn more about travel startups? Here are some lesser-known facts about travel startups that might surprise you!

• There have been more than  1009 digital travel startups  established since 2015.
• More than  $27 billion  worth of investments were poured into travel companies from 2020 to 2022.
• Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were approximately 65 million digital nomads worldwide. It is expected that in 2035, their quantity can rise up to  one billion .
• Startups providing services for short-term rentals, such as Airbnb or AvantStay, accounted for  55% of hospitality startup funding  in 2021.

Travel Startups and Beyond!

Now that you're up to speed on travel startups, you can start to craft your ideal travel experience for you, your family, and your friends. Give Pilot a try for free!

Disclosure : Pilot is supported by our community. We may earn a small commission fee with affiliate links on our website. All reviews and recommendations are independent and do not reflect the official view of Pilot.

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30 Top Travel Startups to Watch in 2024

• Top Startups to Watch

Last Updated: March 13, 2024 By TRUiC Team

The travel industry was hard hit by the pandemic, with travel startups facing sharp declines in demand at pivotal stages of their business. The companies that are thriving today are those that have quickly adapted to meet the ever-evolving needs of travelers.

From work retreats to staycations, innovation is the name of the game. These top travel startups are promoting tourism by making it more convenient, more eco-friendly, and simply more fun. There are plenty of opportunities for any entrepreneur, particularly as the public gets their second wind to get back out there and start exploring.

Recommended: Learn how to launch your own company by reading our comprehensive guide on how to start a startup .

Best Travel Startups to Follow

Every year, new startups pull to the forefront of their industry through exciting innovation and industry-disrupting business models. We’ve rounded up the top travel startups of 2024 that startup lovers, investors, and aspiring entrepreneurs should follow.

Disclaimer: With so many exciting travel companies launching and growing worldwide, we aren’t able to cover them all. Furthermore, the startups that are listed below are not officially ranked and are listed in no particular order.

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• Location: San Francisco, California
• Founder(s): Francis Davidson, Lucas Pellan, Martin Picard
• Founded In: 2014
• Funding: Post IPO-Equity, $839.6 Million
• Investors Include: Principal Global Investors, BlackRock, Moore Capital

Sonder taps into a growing demand for unique places to stay. The company has a number of luxury properties in popular destinations around the world. What makes the company even more special is that the staff has adapted services based on how people travel today. Travelers can check-in, request towels, and get recommendations on what to do — all from their phones.

2. TravelPerk

• Location: Barcelona, Spain
• Founder(s): Avi Meir, Javier Suarez, and Ron Levin
• Founded In: 2015
• Funding: Series D, $530.3 Million
• Investors Include:  SoftBank Vision Fund, Greyhound Capital, General Catalyst

TravelPerk is a travel platform that helps business travelers manage their travel and expenses as well as book business trips with ease. The platform suits businesses of all sizes and streamlines the process of finding, booking, and planning business travel.

• Location: Singapore
• Founder(s): Ahmet Bahadir Ozdemir
• Founded In: 2019
• Funding: Series A, $67.3 Million
• Investors Include: Plug and Play , GO Ventures, Rakuten Capital

Airalo is providing a more flexible phone alternative no matter what country you’re in. Their eSIM store is the first of its kind, offering affordable, local rates for eSIM compatible phones, tablets, or PC computers. Customers never have to worry about carrying several SIM cards, changing their phone number, or losing communication capabilities with Airalo eSIM cards.

4. Tripsider

• Founder(s): Olga Bortnikova, Ivan Bortnikov
• Founded In: 2018
• Funding: Seed, $1 Million
• Investors Include:  Liqvest, Mission Gate, Starta

Next on our list of top travel startups is Tripsider , an app that matches people with the right trip based on everything from their interests to their budget. The company compares the algorithm to that of a dating app, taking into account values, past experiences, and goals to match people with a travel expert via text or phone call. Experts have resources to help travelers officially confirm their bookings, removing one more thing for vacationers to worry about.

5. BabyQuip

• Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Founder(s): Fran Maier
• Founded In: 2016
• Funding: Seed, $10.7 Million
• Investors Include: Moai Capital, How Women Invest, SBI Investment

BabyQuip is a travel startup with a new take on the gig economy – providing a platform for baby gear rentals for traveling families. BabyQuip delivers all the necessary gear to wherever a family needs it – the airport, a hotel, or even the grandparents’ house. The company will tailor the equipment to each client’s needs, whether it’s a full-size crib, car seat, stroller, or anything else.

6. The Hotels Network

• Founder(s): Juanjo Rodriguez, Laura Martinez Celada, Marc Rollan Serrano
• Funding: Series B, $15.2 million
• Investors Include: Seaya Ventures, Elaia, 4Founders Capital, NFX

The Hotels Network is a platform that serves as a method of growth for hotels using technology to attract and convert online visitors to paying customers by creating a unique, personalized, and predictive user experience. Hotels can use the platform to compare reviews, pricing, analytics in order to create more impactful marketing campaigns.

• Location: London, United Kingdom
• Founder(s): Steve Domin, Tom Bates, Vincent Pastor
• Founded In: 2017
• Funding: Series B, $56.2 Million
• Investors Include: Index Ventures , Benchmark , Kima Ventures, Blossom Capital, et al.

Duffel is an online platform for travelers to find, book, and manage flights from a myriad of airlines. Working in tandem with airlines to provide a better customer experience, Duffel provides travelers with real-time pricing and availability to make booking a trip easier than ever.

• Location: Madrid, Spain
• Founder(s): Dennis Vilovic, Leonard Cremer
• Funding:  Series B, $11 Million
• Investors Include:  All Iron Ventures, Durable Capital Partners, Madrona Venture Group

Troop is a travel technology company that utilizes data to help corporations plan in-person meetings. Leveraging the power of science and technology, Troop makes planning in-person meetings for their Fortune 500 companies sustainable, safe, and secure.

9. roadsurfer

• Location: Munich, Germany
• Founder(s): Christoph Niemann, Markus Dickhardt, Susanne Dickhardt
• Funding: Series Unknown, $28.9 Million
• Investors Include : Lawrence Leuschner, Heartcore Capital, 10x Group, et al.

roadsurfer rents RV campers to outdoor lovers in Europe and America. The company stands for freedom and offers a number of perks to its customers, including unlimited mileage, a free second driver, road assistance, and flexible rebooking options. For anyone who dreams of getting away from it all and experiencing van life for a few months, this company is connecting people to the vehicles they need to hit the road.

10. Pickyourtrail

• Location: Chennai, India
• Founder(s): Hari Ganapathy, Srinath Shankar
• Funding: Venture, $3 Million
• Investors Include: Kumar Vembu, Vinay Ahuja, Girish Mathrubootham, Kunal Shah

Pickyourtrail is India’s largest online holiday booking platform for DIY travelers. People come here to customize their vacations by building unique itineraries from the ground up. The platform takes into account people’s interests, timelines, and budgets before crafting travel that will mesh with the individual’s tastes. The company also works with a number of tourism boards in popular locations, such as Iceland, Japan, and New Zealand, to create more streamlined experiences for all customers.

• Founder(s): Johannes Siebers, Michael Siebers, Rasmus Porsgaard
• Funding: Series E, $199.8 Million
• Investors Include: Venture Stars, Prime Ventures, EQT Ventures, et al.

Holidu is a website where vacationers can book accommodations at the lowest price. It was started by the founders after trying to find a place to stay in Portugal, only to find that many of the same properties were listed on different sites at different prices. Their platform makes it possible to search and book rental properties without having to worry if there was a better deal out there.

12. Whimstay

• Founder(s): Alexander Alioto, Ben Jamshahi, Kamesh Jasani, Noel Russell
• Funding: Seed, $10 Million
• Investors Include:  Talent Resource Ventures 

Whimstay is designed for last-minute travelers who want great deals. The app and website helps property owners and hosts match their unsold nights with travelers, so everyone can benefit from the search engine. The company is built on the premise that many of our favorite travel moments are entirely unplanned, and the platform boasts up to 60% savings off the original costs of rental properties.

13. Scenset

• Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Founder(s): Eli Bressert, Tamar van de Paal
• Funding: Seed, $5 Million
• Investors Include:  Cavalry Ventures, Project A Ventures

Next on our list of the best travel companies is Scenset . Most people take just under 3 weeks to book a trip, and while some people may love piecing it all together, most just want to just get it over with. Scenset personalizes your vacations with end-to-end planning with the help of travel curators. The team is there so travelers don’t have to skip from site to site, and these experts often deliver experiences that travelers would never have without their interference.

14. Boom Supersonic

• Location: Englewood, Colorado
• Founder(s): Blake Scholl, Joe Wilding, Joshua Krall
• Funding:  Series Unknown, $700 Million
• Investors Include:  Momentum Ventures, Prime Movers Lab, Caruso Ventures

Boom Supersonic is attempting to cut down on travel time by as much as half with supersonic jets. Travelers have the option of going from Tokyo to Seattle in as little as 4.5 hours (compared to 8.5 hours in a standard passenger plane). The company offers more than 500 transoceanic routes, allowing more people to test their boundaries and explore the world.

• Location:  Paris, France
• Founder(s): Aziza Chaouachi, Mario Moinet, Yassine Ben Romdhane
• Funding: Convertible Note, $22 Million
• Investors Include: Prime Ventures

Leavy allows people to live anywhere they’d like, if only for 24 hours or less. Though it was founded before the pandemic, the company is tapping into the idea of travel and affordability. The platform pairs customers with people willing to share their homes and pays cash to anyone who will open the door. While accommodation amenities vary, the barebones feature of Leavy is opening the door to people who might not have been able to afford travel otherwise.

• Location: Bucharest, Romania
• Founder(s): Alexandru Govoreanu
• Funding: Seed, $1.8 Million
• Investors Include: Early Game Ventures, Sparking Capital

Questo is a gaming app for travelers designed to help them explore cities and towns in an unusual way. So if an individual in London wanted to hunt down Jack the Ripper, they’re whisked away on an exciting quest, gathering clues in real time while learning about history at the same time. Games range depending on destination, so you can uncover the Midici conspiracy in Florence or discover the ghosts of Glasgow.

• Location: Berlin, Germany
• Founder(s): Naren Shaam
• Founded In: 2013
• Funding: Series E, $476 Million
• Investors Include: Lazard Asset Management, Stack Capital, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, et al.

Omio is a transportation app that gives travelers an easy way to travel long distances. It’s not designed for getting around a city but rather suggests nearby airports and train routes that would make it possible to cover serious ground at the drop of a hat. It helps travelers visualize the best routes to take based on everything from speed to price. Travelers can also access tickets on their phones for trains and planes, adding an extra layer of convenience.

18. Surf Air Mobility

• Location: Hawthorne, California
• Founder(s): Cory Cozzens, David Eyerly, Liam Fayed, Reed Farnsworth, Scott Craig Porter, Sudhin Shahani, Wade Eyerly
• Founded In: 2012
• Funding: Debt Financing, $563.7 Million
• Investors Include: IVP, Troy Capital, Sway Ventures, et al.

Surf Air Mobility is an environmentally friendly company that’s introducing the world to zero-emission flying with the help of electric vehicles. With more than 910 million tons of carbon on the line, the company is starting with existing aircraft. The staff replaces the standard engine with an electric version as a means to decarbonize the travel industry.

19. SafetyWing

• Location: Silicon Valley (Palo Alto, California)
• Founder(s): Hans Nyvold Kjellby, Lona Alia, Sarah Beyahte Sandnes, Sondre Rasch
• Funding: Series B, $47.1 Million
• Investors Include: Creandum, Alma Mundi Ventures, Kinnevik, et al. 

SafetyWing describes its products as insurance for nomads, by nomads. The company makes it possible for people outside their home country to get the medical help they need, including treatments needed for COVID-19, should they become ill or injured while abroad. People can even purchase insurance while they’re in a foreign country.

20. Wanderlog

• Founder(s): Harry Yu, Peter Xu
• Funding: Seed, $1.7 Million
• Investors Include: Y Combinator , Abstract Ventures, General Catalyst

Wanderlog is a free travel app that makes it possible for travelers to build and map their vacations. Designed for trips of all kinds, including the open road, it’s a way for people to keep all of their details organized so they know where they are, what they’re doing, and where they’re going at all times. Drive times, reviews, and reservations can all be tracked in one handy place, making it less likely that something will go wrong along the way.

• Founder(s): Oskar Bruening, Ruzwana Bashir
• Funding: Series C, $119.9 Million
• Investors Include : Eric Schmidt, 12 BF Global Ventures, Cathay Innovation, et al.

Peek helps tourism businesses book more people by offering handy software to take payments, market their services, and manage reviews. So far, the company has powered more than $1 billion in experiences (e.g., paddleboards, pottery classes, rafting, etc.). Their customers love the easy-to-use platform that makes it possible to both generate and track business.

• Location: New York, New York
• Founder(s): Anthony Menna, Greg Ramey, Mike Petrakis
• Funding:  Series A, $17 Million
• Investors Include:  Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Corazon Capital, Alumni Ventures

Batch  is designed specifically for bachelor or bachelorette parties. It helps the core planner track the details of the trip, so everyone can have a smooth experience. Trying to coordinate anything on a group trip like this can be an exercise in futility, but the app accounts for any number of scenarios, making it possible for people to have more fun before, during, and after the trip.

23. Sēkr

• Location: San Diego, California
• Founder(s): Breanne Acio, Jessica Shisler
• Founded In: 2020
• Funding: Seed, $3.1 million
• Investors Include: Crescent Ridge Partners Ventures, Storyteller Overland, Backstage Capital, et al

Sēkr is a mobile platform for outdoor lovers, making it easier, safer, and more communal to plan a trip and dig into the Great Outdoors. The company has more than 50,000 campsites included in its platform, making it the nation’s largest database of free campsites and local events. People can use it to learn more about what they can really expect at each site, and to connect to virtual friends with similar interests.

24. Point.me

• Founder(s): Adam Morvitz, Tiffany Funk
• Funding: Series A, $12 Million
• Investors Include:  Thayer Ventures, RiverPark Ventures, Plug and Play

Next up on our list of top travel startups is Point.me . With so many different types of airline miles and points out there, it can be difficult for travelers to keep track of all their rewards. As a result, they often end up losing out on their benefits, or cashing them in for a fraction of what they’re worth. Point.me scours the internet to find the absolute best deals for travelers who want to get the most from each and every point.

25. AvantStay

• Location:  Los Angeles, California
• Founder(s): Reuben Doetsch, Sean Breuner
• Funding: Private Equity, $686 Million
• Investors Include: Saluda Grade, Bullpen Capital, Capital One Ventures

AvantStay is a booking platform with unique properties that can be used for personal or commercial use alike. These are luxury rentals that feature unique amenities, including stunning interior design for groups. Excellent for family and company retreats or just a fun weekend trip between friends, AvantStay makes it possible for travelers to hammer down accommodation details and organize additional excursions as well (e.g., spa treatments, wine tastings, etc.).

26. Spotnana

• Founder(s): Sarosh Waghmar, Shikhar Agarwal
• Funding: Series B, $116 Million
• Investors Include:  ICONIQ Growth, Durable Capital Partners, Blank Ventures

Spotnana designs software to connect partners, suppliers, and providers, all in service of improving the booking experience for travelers. The idea is to unbundle travel, making it possible for travelers in the future to get anything they need without the hassle. The core values are freedom and trust, reintroducing choice to the traveler so they feel comfortable making any and all of their arrangements online.

27. Life House

• Founder(s): Rami Zeidan, Yury Yakubchyk
• Funding: Series C, $230 Million
• Investors Include: Tiger Global Management, Sound Ventures, Global Founders Capital

Life House is a vertically integrated operating system built for boutique hotels. It specifically supports three functions: hotel technology for operators, hotel management for owners, and hotel branding and positioning. With Life House's powerful software, boutique hotels gain a suite of tools that can help streamline processes and increase their profitability.

28. Kindred

• Founder(s): Tasneem Amina, Justine Palefsky
• Founded In: 2021
• Funding: Series A, $22.8 Million
• Investors Include: Andreessen Horowitz, New Enterprise Associates, Bessemer Venture Partners

Kindred is a home-swap platform that connects travelers with other members to trade spaces or travel with credits they can earn by using the platform. With Kindred, hosts receive complimentary hosting essentials like towels, sheets, and lockboxes as well as free professional cleaning before and after guest stays. 

29. Hotelverse

• Location: Mallorca, Spain
• Founder(s): Rafael Bover, Fermin Carmona
• Funding: Seed, $3.92 Million
• Investors Include: Sabadell Venture Capital, Plug and Play

Hotelverse leverages technology to create an innovative booking experience for travelers. On the platform, users can explore hotel facilities, customize their room, do a flyover of their hotel, and book a room — all virtually using a realistic, 3D model. 

• Location: Vancouver, Canada  
• Founder(s): Connor J. Wilson 
• Founded In: 2020 
• Funding: Angel Investment, CA$1.1 Million

Pilot is a travel planning platform powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Using its free app, travelers can plan and collaborate with friends on trips by creating itineraries, planning routes, importing travel documents, and obtaining travel visas — all on one platform. Plus, the app works both online and offline thereby ensuring travelers can access important travel information at any time. 

Recommended:  Check out our full list of the  top startups to watch in 2024 !

What are travel startups?

Travel startups today are largely companies that lean on innovation to get noticed in a saturated landscape. Because we’re more reliant than ever on our devices, many of the companies on this list have tech that will drive tourism across the globe.

Whether by reducing carbon emissions, offering health insurance by phone, or making it easier to split costs, travel startups are tackling the small and big issues that stop travelers from fully committing to a trip.

What does the future of the travel industry look like?

The future of the tourism industry will be controlled by everything from global emissions to public health. However, based on the most popular startups today, one of the major trends is based on how people book their travel and how the details are managed. Travel is likely to become more customizable, more affordable, and less damaging to the environment.

What are some travel startup ideas?

Travel startup ideas are often born from personal experiences that people have with their own bookings. So maybe you have a difficult time scheduling a trip on a regular weekend. This leads to an idea that helps vacationers travel without having to take vacation time from work.

Or maybe you take your inspiration from global headlines. If gas prices rise drastically in your area, you can start an app that helps people take a staycation they’ll never forget.

How do you start a travel startup?

Beginning a travel startup will mean sketching out a business model with details about how you’ll monetize your idea and how much capital you’ll need to get started. You’ll need to know what kind of staff you’ll need, how much you can pay them, and what kind of collaboration will be needed to hit your milestones. From there, you’ll likely need to approach investors and secure funding.

About the Author

The TRUiC Team

TRUiC’s team of researchers, writers, and editors dedicate hours to ensure startupsavant.com’s articles are actionable and accessible for both startup founders and startup enthusiasts. From launching a startup to growing your venture, you can trust that our information is an up-to-date and reliable source.

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18 Companies & Startups Revitalizing Travel in 2024

You may also like: 

• Top Travel Industry Trends
• 20 Disruptive Transportation Startups
• 6 Important Hospitality Trends

The travel industry was one of the hardest hit industries during the pandemic.

In 2023, global tourism recovered, jumping back to  84% of pre-pandemic levels . However, the industry as a whole isn't expected to recover until 2027 .

Despite that, some travel startups are still growing exponentially.

Check out this list of companies that are looking to revitalize the travel industry in 2024 and beyond.

1. TravelPerk

5-year search growth : 270%

Search growth status : Exploding

Year founded : 2015

Location : Barcelona, Spain

Funding : $530.3M (Series Unknown)

What they do : TravelPerk is a travel management platform designed to simplify business travel. It offers a centralized platform for booking, managing, and analyzing business travel, with features such as real-time booking, expense management, and travel policy enforcement. The company aims to reduce the time and cost associated with business travel while providing a seamless and enjoyable experience for travelers.

2. SafetyWing

5-year search growth : 1,550%

Year founded : 2017

Location : Palo Alto, California

Funding : $47.1M (Series B)

What they do : SafetyWing is an insurtech company that focuses on digital nomads. Their flagship "Nomad Insurance" is accepted across several different countries (ideal for travel). SafetyWing also offers a B2B "Remote Health" product that provides coverage for remote teams.

5-year search growth : 99x+

Year founded : 2019

Location : Singapore, Singapore

Funding : $67.3M (Series B)

What they do : Airalo is an alternative to using multiple SIM cards while traveling. Specifically, the company offers over 190 affordable "eSIMs" that can be switched over with a few clicks. eSIMs aren't supported by all smartphones. But are becoming an increasingly-common feature in newer models. The SIM company recently raised $60 million in their most recent series B funding found.

4. Roadsurfer

5-year search growth : 1,360%

Location : Bayern, Germany

Funding : $33.9M (Series Unknown)

What they do : Roadsurfer rents out customized camper vans in 13 countries in Europe. Besides the core rental service, the startup also offers a number of optional add-ons for each trip, like kitchen cutlery. Each plan also includes an insurance policy.

5. YouLi (YouLive to Travel)

5-year search growth : 41%

Search growth status : Peaked

Year founded : 2016

Location : Melbourne, Australia

Funding : $200K (Angel)

What they do : YouLi is an all-in-one travel management software for organizing group trips and company retreats. The software includes a number templates for different types of travel itineraries. The software also has a member's area that travelers can use to manage and pay for their trips.

6. PickYourTrail

5-year search growth : 188%

Search growth status : Regular

Year founded : 2014

Location : Chennai, India

Funding : $3M (Series Unknown)

What they do : PickYourTrail is a platform for booking entire trips online (including flight, road transportation and lodging). The startup reports that 46,000 people have used the service to date.

5-year search growth : 400%

Location : New York, NY

Funding : Undisclosed

What they do : Tracki is a travel tech startup that provides real-time GPS tracking solutions for individuals, families, and businesses. Their products range from portable GPS trackers to asset trackers and pet trackers, which can be easily monitored through their mobile app or web platform.

8. Very Local Trip

5-year search growth : 475%

What they do : Very Local Trip connects travelers with local tour guides. In other words, the startup is a focused version of Airbnb's "Experiences" feature.

5-year search growth : 4,900%

Year founded : 2018

Location : Madrid, Spain

Funding : $200.6K (Seed)

What they do : Holafly is an eSIM startup that offers international data plans for travelers. The company partners with local providers in different countries and offers unlimited data plans for a fixed time period. Currently, the startup operates in 160+ countries with 1 million customers worldwide. 

5-year search growth : 21%

Location : New York, New York

Funding : $181M (Series D)

What they do : Away is a DTC travel brand. Often called the “Warby Parker for suitcases,” the company keeps overhead costs low by selling direct-to-consumer. Away's product line includes sleep masks, travel pillows and compression socks.

5-year search growth : 231%

Location : Denver, Colorado

What they do : GOTRAX is an electric scooter company that provides affordable and eco-friendly transportation solutions for urban dwellers. With a range of electric scooters for adults and kids, GOTRAX offers a convenient and cost-effective way to navigate through busy city streets.

12. Lodgify

Year founded : 2012

Funding : $36.6M (Series B)

What they do : Lodgify develops software that help property owners manage their vacation rental properties. The all-in-one website includes features to manage bookings, accept reservations, and synchronize across different platforms, including Airbnb, Vrbo, and Expedia.

13. Bobobox

5-year search growth : 325%

Location : Badung, Indonesia

Funding : $13M (Series A)

What they do : Bobobox is a technology-based hospitality startup that provides affordable and accessible capsule hotels for travelers in Indonesia. The company utilizes an app-based platform that allows customers to book and manage their stays, as well as access various hotel amenities and services. Bobobox aims to revolutionize the hospitality industry in Indonesia by offering affordable and convenient lodging options that cater to the needs of modern travelers.

5-year search growth : 6%

Location : Bucharest, Romania

Funding : $1.8M (Seed)

What they do : Questo is a mobile app for iPhone and Android that gamifies city exploration. Users embark on "quests" in order discover interesting spots and learn about local lore. Each quest is designed by a local "creator". The app currently offers quests in over 100 cities.

15. Bespoke

5-year search growth : 39%

Location : Tokyo, Japan

Funding : $2.5M (Series B)

What they do : Bespoke has developed an AI-powered chatbot designed for multilingual guest services. Their software provides hotel guests with answers to hotel-specific questions, local recommendations, and restaurant reservations. Bespoke was used by the Japanese government during COVID-19 to communicate critical health and safety updates to residents and travelers.

16. Tailos (Formerly Maidbot)

5-year search growth : 340%

Location : Austin, Texas

Funding : $50K (Series B)

What they do : Tailos , formerly Maidbot, manufacturers a housekeeping robot (named Rosie) designed to clean hotels and commercial buildings. Rosie takes on "dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks", in order to reduce injuries to staff while increasing productivity and consistency.

17. TasteAtlas

5-year search growth : 375%

Location : Zagreb, Croatia

What they do : TasteAtlas is a food and travel startup that provides a comprehensive guide to traditional dishes, drinks, and ingredients from all over the world. The platform offers a database of authentic food recommendations and local restaurants to help travelers discover new cuisines and experiences. Additionally, TasteAtlas allows users to create their own food maps and share their culinary discoveries with others.

18. Roame Travel

5-year search growth : 2,300%

Search growth status : Exploding 

Year founded : 2023

Location : San Francisco, California

What they do : Roame is a free award travel search engine that finds available flights that qualify for credit card points and miles redemption. Currently, Roame provides search results for 16 airline loyalty programs and 200 airlines . Users can upgrade to a premium membership to access the SkyView feature, a search function that finds flights within a 90-day search window. 

That wraps up our list of travel startups growing despite the hardships of the pandemic.

The trend away from traditional hotels and towards short-term rental properties, RVs, and campsites accelerated this year as more people work remotely and seek a change of scenery.

There is also a notable shift towards AI and automation, as hotels seek to cut costs and increase efficiency.

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25 Best Hotel and Travel Startups

Startups seem to be the norm today in all the industries. Why should the hotel and travel industry hold back? Here in this post, we have listed some of the best hotel and travel startups that are shining in 2024.

There’s no question that hospitality is a mammoth industry with numerous hotel chains , raking in trillions of US dollars each year. As you might expect with any industry of such enormous revenue scale, newer and fresher companies make a foray into the sector every year.

Innovation and creativity have taken over in the current knowledge economy and young entrepreneurs are taking the market by storm including the hospitality industry. This has been true more than ever after the COVID-19 Pandemic.

A lot of these startups are backed by reputed venture capitalists while a lot of new ones are bootstrapping to make a mark in the startup arena.

Lots of budding entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry have started to move from traditional full-time jobs to taking up  freelance jobs  to work on their entrepreneurial projects.

Here are 25 excellent hotel and travel startups that are taking the hotel and travel industry by storm.

We have included a mix of existing, funded and seasoned startups as well as new hospitality startups. Let’s begin.

It is an extremely difficult task to rank startups and thus we will avoid numbering them. Some of these travel startups are mammoth-sized while various others are conceptual beauty.

From profit-making and highly funded startups of the hospitality world to the newbies which are extremely creative, we have tried to include a lot of them here.

• Founded: 2018
• Funding: $10 million

WanderLuxe is revolutionizing the way travellers discover and book luxury accommodations worldwide. Their platform offers personalized recommendations based on individual preferences, ensuring every trip is a memorable experience.

• Founded: 2021
• Funding: $3 million

This is for all pet lovers. There are a lot of pet-friendly hotels in the world. RoamRover specializes in pet-friendly travel solutions, making it easier for pet owners to find accommodations and activities that welcome their furry companions. Their platform ensures that no one gets left behind on the next adventure.

Holidayme (part of Traveazy Group)

Total Money Raised- $36 Million

This niche-based travel startup was started by Digvijay Pratap and Geet Bhalla in Dubai in the year 2013.

Starting as a customised travel solution, Holidayme has evolved to become a niche travel expert for the Middle East Area. With 8000+ hotels and hundreds of activities to choose from, travellers can experience the Middle East in its true delight.

This hospitality venture aims to use technology in more effective ways to offer better customisation to all users for a better travel experience.

We loved the concept and the growth this startup is experiencing makes it evident that this concept is set to stay in the coming years.

A lot of exciting hospitality and travel startups are taking the industry by storm. More and more entrepreneurs are coming up with exciting startups in the various hospitality sectors .

PhocusWire is a leading source of news, analysis, and insights for the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors.  They have published a list of Hot 25 Travel Startups for 2024, which features innovative companies from various segments and regions of the travel industry. Some of the notable startups on the list are TravelPerk, SafetyWing, Airalo, and Roadsurfer.

This Hospitality recruitment startup has been taking big strides in the hospitality recruitment market ever since its inception in 2011.

The growth mode of Hosco is in turbo mode as of now making it one of the hottest hospitality recruitment startups.

• Total Money Raised So Far: $20 Million
• Total Database: Over 2 Million
• Hotel Employers in Network: 6000+
• Location: Europe (Spain, Switzerland, and other locations)
• Hospitality Schools in Network: 600+

Total Investment raised- $30 Million+

AvantStay is a technology-based rental platform for group travellers.

It raised $20 million in a financing round led by 3L Capital. A lot of other venture capitalists participated and showed interest in this extremely exciting hospitality startup as quoted by the Los Angeles Business Journal. AvantStay aims to innovate for better group travel.

The startup already has 250+ properties and has recently partnered with Marriott to expand big in 10 other US markets.

We just can’t wait to see what Airbnb has to say about the rapid growth of AvantStay.

Zomato (Now Public)

The startup Zomato gained huge traction in 2018 due to a heavy infusion of capital. According to data quoted in an article on the Entrepreneur blog , the amount it raised was a whopping $200 Million.

This food delivery app started as a feedback website for restaurants. Ever since its inception in 2008, it has raised over $400 Million in various funding rounds.

Currently, Zomato has a huge consumer base and a partnering restaurant list. It has also started its operation in various other countries to become one of the most exciting food delivery startups competing with giants like Uber Eat.

It went public last year but we have retained it on this list of travel and hospitality startups to showcase successful startups as well.

Hotel Engine

The Denver, US-based travel tech startup has seen a change of fortunes in September 2019.

After bootstrapping for 4 years, Hotel Engine had raised $16 Million in a series A round.

With 300% year-on-year growth in the initial 4 years of founding, it is not surprising that the team and promoters of this startup are bracing themselves for bigger and more exciting challenges in the coming years.

This travel startup that focuses on making business travel more comfortable and convenient will look to improve its technology, reach and team in the coming years.

The business travel industry is a booming sector and using technological innovation, Hotel Engine is set to solve a lot of problems that business owners and business travellers face. This startup is sure to make it big in 2024 once the hospitality industry bounces back out of the COVID-19 pandemic-induced slump.

It’s essentially a cashless tipping platform with a cue of efficiency, convenience, and transparency to it.

It makes tipping easy and convenient. With this startup, you have all the more reasons to tip if you find the service good.

It not only restricts you to cashless tipping but also is a great place to say thank you or leave your valuable feedback.

It takes tipping up a notch with its ingenious feature that enables users to submit feedback about their experience on the fly.

In essence, the app targets a growing lot of Millennials who outspend baby boomers when it comes to leisure and travel.

On the whole, TipGenie clinches the trophy for the best travel startups in the guest feedback and tipping category.

• Founded: 2020
• Funding: $5.5 million

StayCraze caters to the rising trend of staycations by curating unique and off-the-beaten-path accommodations in local destinations.

There are numerous other hospitality startups that we can’t include on this list. We have thus ensured that we provide references to resources for those willing to explore further.

Failory is a community of entrepreneurs and makers that share their stories of success and failure. They have curated a list of the Top 65 Hospitality Startups in 2024 and the Top 18 Hotel Startups in 2024.

These highlight some of the most promising and innovative hospitality and hotel startups that are solving real problems and creating value for customers.

Some of the impressive startups on the lists are Siteminder, ZenRooms, Sensor Flow, Boddy, BookingData, and BTP Automation.

It is said to be an Amazon Prime for Hotel Booking.

This travel industry startup is well-funded and set to provide an exclusive booking experience to all its premium members.

If you look at the hotel industry statistics , the future is certainly bright for this amazing hotel and travel startup.

As mobile apps gain more and more traction as the mainstay feature in hospitality-related businesses, we are yet to see more startups geared towards this niche.

But, Hotelcloud, a pioneer in this sector, promises to design and develop individually branded apps for the hotel and travel industry. it has been a great brand name in the hospitality industry as far as hotel industry software is concerned

They have a custom-designed app and hotel information systems to suit all hotel businesses.

Made for guests and establishments this sure takes user experience and comfort to a new level altogether.

Due to the numerous features, it can have at your fingertips.

According to their website, they are a startup looking to build “e-concierge business apps” and have already partnered with over 45,000 players in the travel marketplace.

Here’s yet another flight deals app that offers a new and exciting approach to landing cheaper air tickets.

It promises to make the booking, reservation, and payment of flights effortlessly easy.

The app ingrains an ingenious software that continuously collects, monitors, and analyzes flight data from sound sources to let you know when it is just right to book a flight, from which airport to take off, and when scintillating promotions and deals are available.

In all seriousness, this could be your ultimate friend when finding absolutely the cheapest deals.

• Founded: 2019
• Funding: $8 million

TripTrove is a one-stop shop for sustainable travel experiences.

From eco-friendly resorts to responsible tour operators, they prioritize environmental conservation and community empowerment in every booking.

CultivateCalm

• Founded: 2022
• Funding: $4.2 million

CultivateCalm focuses on wellness travel, curating retreats and experiences that prioritize relaxation, mindfulness, and rejuvenation. The beauty of their platform is that they encourage travellers to prioritize self-care and mental well-being during their journeys.

Here is a reference to one more article that does well in exploring this topic differently.

Exploding Topics is a platform that identifies and analyses emerging trends across various industries and niches. They have compiled a list of 18 Companies & Startups Revitalizing Travel in 2024, which showcases some of the fast-growing and disruptive travel startups.

Some of the interesting startups on the list are Pilot, TravGeo, and YouLi.

Collective Retreats

This travel-based startup has raised over $40 Million in its funding rounds.

Collective Retreat is an excellent startup from Colorado, Denver. Its focus is on luxury travel and creates an unparalleled experience by selecting off-beat locations with a greater focus on experiential travel.

• Funding: $6 million

FoodieFind connects travellers with culinary experiences that celebrate local flavours and traditions. From street food tours to cooking classes with local chefs, their platform ensures that every trip is a gastronomic adventure.

LocalFlavor

This is another one of the exciting travel startups. The idea is as unique and fresh as its name.

• Funding: $7.2 million

LocalFlavor celebrates the authentic flavours and traditions of destinations worldwide, offering culinary tours, cooking classes, and dining experiences curated by local experts. Their platform ensures that travellers can savour the essence of each destination through its cuisine.

We have all been there – being in a foreign country restaurant that offers mouthwatering delicacies but the menu is in a local language.

Now, would you miss to taste the local delicacies and amazing global cuisines ? But, can you risk eating monkey brain thinking of it as a local pasta? This is where this startup comes in handy.

It is a Chinese-based travel information startup which has already raised $19 Million in funding.

This hospitality startup was a hot cake in 2018 and shows promise in 2024 as well as providing electronic kiosks, audio guides and apps to help travellers.

Keep an eye on this startup as it’s backed by several prominent investors.

• Funding: $6.5 million

SleepSavvy utilizes AI technology to recommend personalized accommodations based on individual preferences and past travel behaviour. Their platform ensures that every traveller finds the perfect place to rest their head.

We all know that AI’s impact on hospitality is going to be big. It is an exciting startup because it aims to effectively use Artificial intelligence in pushing only the right offers to its users.

AdventureAwaits

• Funding: $9 million

AdventureAwaits specializes in adrenaline-pumping experiences and outdoor adventures. Whether it is hiking, surfing, or skydiving, their platform helps thrill-seekers find the next exhilarating challenge.

• Founded: 2017
• Funding: $11 million

EcoEscape is dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism by curating eco-conscious accommodations and responsible travel experiences. Their platform empowers travellers to explore the world while minimizing their environmental footprint.

 SoloSojourn

• Funding: $5.2 million

SoloSojourn caters to solo travellers by curating safe and enriching experiences designed specifically for individual explorers. Their platform offers opportunities for solo adventurers to connect with like-minded travellers and embark on unforgettable journeys together.

HotelsByDay

Among the best travel startups in San Francisco stands out HotelsByDay.

As you might expect, it’s always hard to book a hotel during odd hours especially by day to just kick back and relax for a few hours.

HotelsByDay looks to help both guests and hotels by allowing booking in such unique hours.

FamilyFiesta

• Funding: $7.5 million

FamilyFiesta focuses on family-friendly travel solutions, offering accommodations. Their platform ensures that families can create lasting memories together in destinations around the world.

TravelTechie

TravelTechie leverages cutting-edge technology to enhance the travel experience, offering innovative solutions for booking, navigation, and communication on the go.

While this was the list of a few of the best hotel and travel startups, we aim to keep adding to the list should we stumble upon other exciting startups in the hospitality arena.

These are some exciting firms that are trying to come up with innovation in the hospitality industry . We have tried to make this list a good mix and we will keep trying to add to this list to make it more exciting and comprehensive.

We salute creativity and all we can do is to wish them luck for working relentlessly for our very own hospitality industry.

4 thoughts on “25 Best Hotel and Travel Startups”

Superb share. Was a great read.

Glad you liked it! Thanks

I LIKE YOUR WRITE UP OF START UPS IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY AM IMPRESSED ON YOUR LIST AND COMMENTS GOOD WORK JOSEPH C MACBY.sr Head: Business Development MACBILLION Hotels And Resorts Lagos Nigeria Email:[email protected]

Thanks a lot.

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List of Top Travel and Tourism Startups in India

Ashwini , Shilpa sharma

“It will be much more about responsible travel now. We are going to value our freedom a lot more" – Deep Kalra, Founder of MakeMyTrip on impact of Covid on travel industry

The travel and tourism industry is one of the largest industries in India, it's a major driver of economic growth globally. India's tourism industry is experiencing a good period of growth, driven by the flourishing Indian middle class, growth in high spending foreign tourists and coordinated government campaigns to promote 'Incredible India'. But Due to restrictions linked to Covid-19, the number of foreign tourist in India during 2021 decreased to 1.52 million compared to 2.74 million in 2020, dropping by 44.5%, though foreign exchange earnings grew during the same period, as per the India Tourism Statistics 2022 report. In 2019, India saw 10.93 million foreign tourist arrivals, which dropped by 75% in 2020.

In 2021, the travel and tourism industry in India contributed around 178 billion U.S. dollars to the country's GDP. Just a few days ago the Indian government has said that the country's tourism sector will recover to the pre-pandemic level by mid-2024 , they also said that by 2030, the tourism sector will contribute $250 billion to the country's gross domestic product (GDP).According to the recent India Travel Market Report by Phocuswright, the total Indian travel market stood at US$19.1 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $40.4 billion in 2025, with online penetration reaching 58% in 2025.

The booming IT and outsourcing industry has led to a growing number of business trips made by foreigners to India. After Covid, along with work from home, a new trend has come, i.e., workcation for which travel companies are coming up with very good offers and packages. These plans comprise elegant and peaceful places to work with sightseeing and event sports in the evening. These packages are varied and diverse.

From choosing destinations to connecting with locals and customizing the holiday, the travel startup business in India is looking to add a new dimension to the ever-evolving traveling story.

Here is the list of successful tour and travel startups.

Travel & Tourism Industry in India - Key Highlights

Top Travel and Tourism Startups in India:

Pickyourtrail

Scoutmytrip, thrillophilia, travel triangle, extravelmoney, travel & tourism industry in india - key highlights.

Also Read: Travel and Tourism Industry Trends in 2021: Post-Covid Scenario

Top 20 Travel and Tourism Startups in India

MakeMyTrip is one of the oldest travel startup in India . The inspiration for this startup came to Kalra when he was booking a holiday to Thailand. He realized that the internet could offer more competitive prices by cutting out the middleman. MakeMyTrip's mission is to provide customers a one-stop-shop for all their travel needs by providing online travel services that include flight tickets, domestic and international holiday packages, hotel reservations, rail and bus tickets.

Cleartrip, headquartered in Mumbai , was founded by Stuart Crighton, Hrush Bhatt in the year 2005. The company operates an online travel aggregator website for booking flights and train tickets, hotel reservations, and activities in India and the Middle East countries. Cleartrip is one of the few business travel startups in India. It has offices across India, UAE , Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Cleartrip is another travel tech company in India, started its services to the Persian Gulf nations of Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt. On June 21, 2018, Cleartrip announced the acquisition of Saudi Arabia-based online travel aggregator (OTA) Flyin.

Clear trip also operates -

• Cleartrip for Business , an online corporate travel management tool. It is a business travel solution for companies
• Agent Box , a travel tool for travel agents.
• Cleartrip Mobile , a travel booking app for consumers.
• Expressway , to let users store traveller profile and payment details securely to make one-click bookings.
• Flexifly, a solution that enables flyers to change their travel date and time and switch flights between airlines without any hefty penalties.

Within few years goibibo became a big payer in travel industry . Goibibo acquired redBus in 2013 to enhance its product offering. The 2016 merger of MMT and Goibibo gave MMT depth of content and an access to a bigger consumer base. It's core value differentiator is the most trusted user experience, be it in terms of quickest search and booking, fastest payments , settlement or refund processes. Along with the usual services travel startups provide, Goibibo became the no 1 travel startup to introduce real travel booking currency named as Go Cash which can be used without any restrictions or limits of use .

In small towns, this start up company has built up good trust and about 48% of new users are associated with tier 2 and tier 3 cities, it has seen a 65% increase in transacting users since January this year and that it has been 'successful' in consolidating its position as the 'second largest' OTA brand in the country.

It is the largest hospitality startup from the list of top hospitality startups in India comprising budget hotels. It is usually one of the first names that pop up in people's minds when they think of cost efficient hotel bookings in India. The startup works in liaison with existing hotels and offers travellers vacant rooms at a cheaper price . OYO Rooms start at a nominal price of Rs. 999. Besides bulk renting hotels, they have also invested in their own properties as well. Click here to know how exactly OYO Rooms work .

The users can also opt for OYO Premium which provides a more-than-basic experience. OYO Rooms are located in the prime areas of the city and therefore they ensure travellers of having the best experience, it is also close to the best sight-seeing destinations and various dining options. The startup also raised an investment of $90 million from Softbank earlier in 2016. In 2019, OYO raised $1.5 Billion in Series F funding led by SoftBank Group , Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Sequoia India .

Hari Ganapathy and Srinath Shankar got the idea of the startup after their experience from a self-planned trip to Europe in 2012.  This platform uses deep tech to let travellers create, customize and book international vacations . Pickyourtrail considers more than 40 factors like duration, travel time, ratings, etc to build personalized itineraries that travellers can further customize & book .

After the trip is booked, travellers can use Pickyourtrail’s app to keep track of bookings and get real-time information on flight and weather updates, restaurant recommendations, and on-trip chat support.

Their goal is to perform best in the tour and travel business when it comes to international trips.

ScoutMyTrip is a road trip planner , It works for all sorts of outings, from short weekend travels to long excursions.

The motive that the duo has been able to solve through their startup is to collate information that is currently very diversified. Basically it is an information portal that makes travel easy and accessible for anyone. The company plans to connect travellers with people who want to travel on any particular vehicle. It will also facilitate customised tour packages.

With artificial intelligence, customers can create an itinerary containing the information necessary for their road trip—gas stations, toilets, restaurants, hotels to stay, and points of interest. The human intelligence aspect brings in the ability to personalize information as per one's needs.

The corporate outdoor and experiential learning model adopted by Thrillophilia in its early days, has proven to be of great significance since it was fairly new concept in India.

Thrillophilia provides you with handpicked adventure travel options. It is best suited for travellers seeking an off-the-beaten-track package for sightseeing, sports, and adventurous activities like water rafting, snorkelling, bungee jumping, and skydiving. The travellers can also curate the best tours and authentic suppliers.

Travel Triangle operates their services with a versatile team of 450+ peopl e. Travel Triangle is operating as an online marketplace model bringing both travellers and trusted & expert travel agents on a common platform. Travel Triangle is a S aaS-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform to help them manage and analyse customer interactions and data.

goMowgli is a travel startup that had its name inspired by the fictional character we all loved growing up –Mowgli from Jungle Book. It has a fleet of buses across different states (using the concept of “hop-off buses”) and the travellers can buy a pass for a fixed number of days – a week or two. It is suitable for solo travellers and backpackers who want to travel without a fixed plan or do not want to get in trouble of booking cabs while traveling the city.

goMowgli claims to be India's first flexible bus network for travellers. Flexible bus network mean is you can catch the bus anytime you want from any place in their network, and get off anytime, at any place.

goMowgli will tell you the exact location of the nearest bus when you switch on the GPS feature on your smartphone. The app is growing in popularity very fast. At present, their revenue generation is basically based on the passes they sell (Rs. 1700/day) . And their marketing is mainly based on social media and word of mouth.

Tripoto is a Delhi-based startup founded by Anirudh Gupta and Michael Lyngdoh and one of the best travel startups in India. It allows users to create itineraries for their future trips that they can also share with other travelers. They can share their travel experiences, related content and pictures, itineraries, maps, stories, and reviews.

The startup has one of the largest communities of travellers in the world where people get a chance to share their travel experiences, discover unique trips and travel itineraries by other travelers and connect with them around the world through the website. Tripoto’s aim is to become the largest source of crowd-sourced travel content platforms in the world by enabling users to share their credible travel information.

ExTravelMoney is an online aggregator and marketplace for forex services that bring the hyperlocal eCommerce model to foreign exchange business and is helping users save money on currency exchange and money transfer from and to abroad. Users can use this platform to search for banks and money changers near them who offer these forex services. They can also compare the exchange rates and total cost of a forex service including the services fees, tax charges, even the rating of each forex store they are searching for.

The users can therefore make an informed decision based on this knowledge and book the cheapest and the best forex services near them directly from their app ExTravelMoney. If you are traveling in a foreign country, foreign exchange is an important component to plan. It isn’t easy to purchase forex due to the time and the hassle it takes in finding the best exchange rates. The website provides travelers with forex dealers across the country to bring them the best available exchange rate in the market and all they need to do is log in to their website, state their forex requirement, and then it connects you to the nearest forex dealer.

Nearify is an app founded by Mayank Kumar, Saurav Singh and Vivek Srivastava in 2012 that provides users with updated information on events that are happening around them. Like information on the city, major tourist attractions, and fairs & festivals happening in the area. All the user needs to do is to key in the name of the city to find listings of meet-ups, workshops, music concerts, and cultural hangout places in their close proximity.

It is best suited for travelers who want to know what’s happening in other locations of the place they are traveling to and wish to plan their itinerary and also don’t want to miss out on the social events happening in nearby cities or locations.

TripHobo is a Pune-based travel startup that has an innovative new travel platform where the collective effort of their dedicated team of travel enthusiasts. They are trying to transform its user's travel experience by making travel more sharable and personally tailored. The platform lets you connect with travel buddies around the world and hence makes your experience even richer and memorable.

TripHobo is a vacation planning website that is also the world’s leading vacation planning platform on which you can plan trips to about 150,000 destinations worldwide. It lets users discover great itineraries created by travellers just like them.

It's an online travel platform for travellers to explore travel destinations, plan and book their trips in advance. It allows users to dynamically create self-serviced customized travel packages after receiving inquiries from clients.

The users can also compare reviews and plan their activities and sightseeing for their trips, it also involves native wholesale suppliers who are responsible for the operational aspects of the business of your trip that includes ground handling and fulfillment. iTraveller has created more than 2 lakh trips featuring over 20 travel destinations across the globe and more than 60 native wholesale suppliers from across these destinations. The brand of iTraveller is now changed to Lastminute.

The mobile marketplace connects travellers with the local people in the city you are traveling to. These people are called “Sherpas” and are chosen after a thorough background check and verified authenticity. They offer numerous itineraries, popularly known as “micro tours”, from sightseeing, photography tours, and heritage walks and food walks to explore a location from the eyes of a local guide – Sherpa.

Sherpas can be from any profession and list experiences that will cost you less than Rs. 3,000 per participant. This is a unique feature that SeekSherpa offers, it helps you in traveling better by interacting with the residents of the place you are seeking to explore. This way, your trip is better, well experienced, and more memorable.

SOTC India is a leading travel and tourism company active across various travel segments including Leisure Travel, Incentive Travel and Business Travel . It is one of the leaders in segments, namely Escorted Group Tours, Customized Holidays,  and Incentive Travel amongst others. SOTC offers customized holidays around the world, Corporate Tours and provides packages for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events) related travel needs.

Travelling is one of the most exciting and important parts of our life. It teaches us a lot. These startups in the tourism industry in India are helping us to make our journey better, safer, and easier. If we have missed out on any travel startup in India, do let us know in the comments.

FAQs on Travel Startups in India

How to start a travel business in india or how to start a travel company in india.

Best tips to start a travel business in India or a travel company in India:

• Step 1: Prepare a plan for your travel business.
• Step 2: Brand your travel business along with dealing in legal formalities.
• Step 3: Manage your funding strategy.
• Step 4: Pick a great location and hire employees.

How to start an online travel agency in India?

The list of requirements to start an online travel agency in India :

• Make a thorough research on your competitors and the market.
• Find your own niche in the travel industry.
• Build your team.
• Take a call on a travel website or a travel software, or both.
• Make a strategy for marketing.
• Target a location.

Must have tools for startups - Recommended by StartupTalky

• Convert Visitors into Leads- SeizeLead
• Payment Gateway- Razorpay
• Spy on your Competitors- Adspyder
• Manage your business smoothly- Google Workspace

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10 perfect jobs for people who love to travel.

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With many jobs requiring frequent travel, some professionals purposely seek out these opportunities ... [+] that afford them the chance to see the world.

My parents and extended family were almost all teachers and educators. With two months of summer off from work, along with plenty of vacation days, they had the privilege of enjoying both their work and traveling around the world.

They were bitten by the wanderlust bug. At family events, everyone would share their most recent exciting trip. My family seamlessly blended their love of travel, exploring new and different sites, with their occupation of teaching elementary, middle and high school students.

Is Frequent Traveling Compatible With Your Lifestyle?

With many jobs requiring frequent travel, some professionals purposely seek out these opportunities that afford them the chance to see the world. During the job search process, it is critical for professionals to consider how much travel is required to perform a specific role successfully. By carefully evaluating the travel requirements, candidates can make informed decisions about jobs that are a compatible fit for their circumstances, preferences and career aspirations.

Extensive travel can disrupt personal and family life, making it challenging to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Professionals with caregiving obligations may find frequent travel particularly burdensome or impossible.

However, for those who have wanderlust, a career that offers the opportunity to get paid to explore new places may be a dream come true. In these roles, accommodations and travel expenses are often covered, while you get to immerse yourself in different cultures.

Jobs For Travel Lovers

If you have been bitten by the travel bug, here are 10 occupations you should consider that will earn you a paycheck for traveling.

Traveling for work and meeting new people can strengthen your professional network and lead to potential clients and customers. Moreover, demonstrating that you can adapt to new environments can be a valuable soft skill in your career.

1. Flight Attendant

Average Base Salary: $39,077

Job Summary: A flight attendant is a trained individual who ensures the safety and comfort of passengers on an aircraft. They provide customer service, conduct safety demonstrations and respond to emergencies during flights.

Qualifications: Applicants are usually required to be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or GED. Successful completion of an airline-specific training program or orientation is necessary. This training is provided by the airline and covers aspects such as safety procedures, emergency protocols and customer service. Flight attendants must also be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to work on each type of aircraft they serve on.

2. Airline Pilot

Average Base Salary: $108,544

Job Summary: An airline pilot is a professional responsible for flying and navigating airplanes, helicopters and other aircraft. Their duties include conducting pre-flight checks, developing flight plans, ensuring the safety and integrity of the aircraft and maintaining communication with the flight crew and air traffic controllers.

Qualifications: Airline pilots typically need a bachelor's degree, experience as a commercial or military pilot and must meet FAA requirements, including completing 250 flight hours with a pilot ground school. After you have passed your written ground school test and logged your hours, you will need to pass a check-ride with the FAA.

3. Management Consultant

Average Base Salary: $92,345

Job Summary: Management consultants work closely with domestic or international clients to provide business solutions to organizational issues involving maximizing business performance, business processes and revenue streams. A management consultant can offer expertise in a range of fields, such as business management, marketing, business strategy, supply chain and employee productivity.

Qualifications: Most employers require applicants to have completed, at minimum, a bachelor's degree in a business-related field, such as business administration, economics or finance.

Average Base Salary: $77,965

Job Summary: An auditor examines an organization's records, accounts and finances to ensure accuracy and compliance, as well as identify and mitigate risks. There are several disciplines within auditing, including financial; environmental, health and safety; external; internal; forensic and information technology. Because auditors attend frequent client meetings, they travel extensively to company sites, including internationally.

Qualifications: Similar to the education path of an accountant, aspiring auditors are required to hold a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field, like finance or business.

5. Tour Guide

Average Base Salary: $35,290

Job Summary: A tour guide leads visitors through historical sites, museums, geographic destinations or outdoor excursions, extolling relevant cultural, historical and practical knowledge.

Qualifications: Most tour guide jobs require at least the completion of a high school diploma, while some employers desire a four-year degree to lead a museum tour. Additionally, some states require you to obtain a tour guide license.

6. Pharmaceutical Sales Representative

Average Base Salary: $75,806

Job Summary: A pharmaceutical sales representative travels to different locations to sell pharmaceutical products and devices to healthcare professionals, such as doctors and nurses.

Qualifications: To become a pharmaceutical sales representative, most employers require at least a high school diploma or GED. Your qualifications will lie in your ability to build relationships and be persuasive.

7. Travel Nurse

Average Base Salary: $114,279

Job Summary: A travel nurse is a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse who works short-term contracts in various locations where healthcare facilities are understaffed. When contracts end, travel nurses either extend their stay at the same hospital or move on to a new location and opportunity.

Qualifications: Travel nurses must complete a state-approved nursing program, an associate degree in nursing or a B.S. in nursing to pursue licensure where they permanently reside. They must then pass the National Council Licensure Examination.

Typically, you cannot become a travel nurse right out of college, as clinical experience is generally required.

The Nurse Licensure Compact allows licensed RNs to practice legally in 39 participating states. If your location does not fall under the NLC, you must apply for state-specific licensure before you begin employment. Some states may fast track temporary licenses.

8. Construction Manager

Average Base Salary: $91,022

Job Summary: Construction managers oversee the development of buildings and infrastructure, managing tasks onsite, scheduling, budgeting and supervising projects from start to finish. Although they have a main office, construction managers travel to field offices on-site.

Qualifications: When hiring construction managers, most employers prefer they have a bachelor’s degree in construction science, construction management, architecture or civil engineering. However, it is possible to get hired with an associate degree in construction management or technology combined with relevant work experience in the field.

9. Professional Interpreter

Average Base Salary: $53,543

Job Summary: A professional interpreter enables communication between two or more parties who speak different languages. Interpreters can only render oral language, while translators specialize in written text. The most common areas of specialization include: conference, guide, media, public sector, medical and legal. Interpreters, especially liaison or escort interpreters, travel frequently to provide language support.

Qualifications: Professional interpreters are generally required to hold a bachelor's degree, while organizations like the United Nations recommend a master's degree. They should be highly proficient in at least two languages, including the source language (the language spoken by the interpreter) and the target language (the language in which they are interpreting).

10. Diplomat (Foreign Service Officer)

Average Base Salary: $97,246

Job Summary: The mission of a U.S. diplomat in the Foreign Service is to promote peace, support prosperity and protect American citizens while advancing U.S. interests abroad. American diplomats can be employed at any of the more than 270 international embassies or consulates.

Qualifications: While there is no specific academic degree or professional experience required to become an FSO, all applicants must undergo a rigorous hiring process. This consists of a written Foreign Service Officer test, a written personal narrative, an oral interview combined with role-playing exercises and a medical and security clearance review.

Diplomats are generally skilled negotiators with outstanding interpersonal skills who possess knowledge of foreign policy and languages.

Digital Nomad

Alternatively, the digital nomad lifestyle offers a unique work experience that comes with the autonomy of not being chained to an office. Like the name implies, it affords professionals with the opportunity to work remotely while traveling freely.

If you are looking for a job change that will be more suitable to your desire to travel, consider freelance projects or finding companies that offer remote positions. A downside to the digital nomad lifestyle is that you will be responsible to cover your own travel expenses, such as transportation, lodging and meals.

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They were promised jobs in Russia. They ended up fighting in Ukraine.

SRINAGAR, India — Across India , families are hearing similar stories from men who went abroad in search of work: They were lured to Russia with promises of jobs as cooks or housekeepers, only to find themselves forced to fight alongside the Russian military in its war against Ukraine .

Some families, frustrated by what they say is a lack of support from the Indian government, say they feel they have no choice but to travel to Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine to get their loved ones back.

“For months, the families have been awaiting government action to bring the Indian citizens back home, but so far no progress has been made,” Raja Begum, 65, told NBC News last month as she sat in the yard of her two-story home in Poshwan, a village in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Begum’s son Azad Yousuf Kumar, 31, left India for the United Arab Emirates in December. She said he had been promised a housekeeping job in Dubai by a consultant there identified as Faisal Khan, who often advertised such jobs on his YouTube channel, Baba Vlogs. In exchange for the job, Kumar paid a fee of 300,000 rupees, or $3,600, she said.

Once Kumar arrived, however, “he was informed that there were no available jobs in the UAE,” said Begum, who has been exchanging voice messages with him. Kumar told his mother that Khan said he could still get a job in another country, and convinced him to travel to Russia to work in a kitchen.

Instead, Begum said, Kumar was sent to a military training center in Moscow as soon as he landed. There he underwent 15 days of weapons training along with several other men from India and Nepal before being deployed to fight against Ukrainian forces on the front lines, Begum said, having been forced to sign a contract in a language he did not understand.

“My son had received injuries during the training period,” Begum said. “He was not allowed to have a proper rest and instead was sent close to the border where a deadly battle was going on.”

Kumar’s older brother, Sajad Ahmad Kumar, said Kumar told him that at least a dozen men from India had been trapped in a similar manner by people affiliated with the Baba Vlogs account, which had more than 350,000 subscribers as recently as February but has since been deleted. 

Attempts by NBC News to contact Khan and the Baba Vlogs team for comment were unsuccessful.

India’s Central Bureau of Investigation said last month that it was aware of at least 35 Indian nationals who had been trained for combat and sent to fight in Ukraine against their will after being recruited for jobs in Russia through agents or social media. Some of them have been “grievously injured,” the agency said.

The agency said it had arrested 35 people on suspicion of being involved in human trafficking , and that it had seized about 50 million rupees ($600,000) in cash as well as incriminating documents and electronic records in searches around the country. 

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said officials were doing their best to get the men home as soon as possible.

“We have also told people not to venture in the war zone or get caught into situations which are difficult,” ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, adding that India was in regular touch with Russian authorities in New Delhi and Moscow and was deeply committed to the “welfare of all Indians.”

India has ties with both Russia and the West and has tried to remain neutral in the Ukraine war, calling for peace talks while refraining from condemning President Vladimir Putin ’s invasion. It has also increased purchases of Russian oil that is steeply discounted amid Western sanctions.

Sajad Ahmad Kumar said his brother and others are now in Russian-occupied Ukraine after crossing the Black Sea under the command of two officers from the Russian army.

“Things have eased a bit for them,” he said. “He used to call from someone’s phone but now he has got his own connection.” 

He said Kumar and several other Indians had approached their embassy in Moscow for help getting home but that officials there “are not taking things seriously.”

The Indian Embassy in Moscow did not respond to requests for comment.

At least two Indian citizens have been killed while fighting alongside the Russian army on the Russia-Ukraine border. They were identified last month as Hemil Ashvinbhai Mangukiya and Mohammad Asfan, from the states of Gujarat and Telangana.

Mangukiya’s father, Ashvinbhai Mangukiya, said his son had been hired as a helper for the Russian army.

“He was supposed to be stationed at Moscow, but he was forced to participate in the ongoing war between the two nations,” he said. 

Mangukiya went to Russia to collect his son’s body after he was killed in the Donetsk region in February. Like others, he has filed cases with the police against Khan and others associated with Baba Vlogs.

“Baba Vlogs is running a nexus,” he said. “The government should take cognizance and arrest all individuals involved in this criminal activity.”

Abdul Rouf, whose son Abdul Nayeem left for Russia in December, said he had spoken to Khan and others at Baba Vlogs when Nayeem, 30, told him they had gotten him a similar job as an army helper in Russia when he approached them in Dubai.

“The job agent assured me that he will not be handed a gun to fight in Ukraine or anywhere else,” said Rouf, a resident of Gulbarga city in the Indian state of Karnataka. His son has since told him that he is in Ukraine, and Rouf is planning to travel to Russia to try to help him.

Mohammad Mustafa, another Karnataka resident whose son is stranded in Russian-occupied Ukraine, said he was tired of waiting for news and was going to Russia himself.

“We can go to any extent to retrieve our children,” he said. 

“Two Indian citizens have already been killed and we don’t want to lose any other person.”

Muheet Ul Islam is a journalist and filmmaker based in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Economy | Tesla plans huge Bay Area job cuts, including…

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Economy | san jose-based solar-power firm cutting 1,000 workers, subscriber only, economy | tesla plans huge bay area job cuts, including hundreds at fremont car factory, 2,700-plus layoffs are being planned in bay area: state files.

FREMONT — Tesla is slashing more than 2,700 Bay Area jobs, including major layoffs at the company’s electric vehicle factory in Fremont.

The staffing reductions at the Austin-based electric car maker — which has its engineering headquarters in Palo Alto — represent the largest single round of job cuts by a tech company since the tech sector began its current series of Bay Area layoffs in 2022.

The cuts come as Tesla is mired in a slump that is affecting electric vehicle makers worldwide. They also hit as CEO Elon Musk, one of the richest men in the world, faces increasing scrutiny for his controversial and provocative views on U.S. election integrity, White supremacy and more.

“The electric vehicle adoption rate globally is under pressure,” Musk said during a recent earnings call with Wall Street analysts regarding Tesla’s first-quarter financial results. “A lot of other auto manufacturers are pulling back on electric vehicles and pursuing plug-in hybrids instead.”

Tesla will chop a total of 2,753 jobs in the Bay Area, according to official WARN notices the company sent to the state Employment Development Department (EDD). An estimated 1,452 of the layoffs are slated to occur at an address that corresponds to the site of the Fremont vehicle factory, one of the WARN letters shows. Layoffs are also planned at multiple other locations in Fremont and Palo Alto, the filings with the state indicate.

None of the layoffs affected unionized workers, according to the WARN notices. The job cuts were all described by Tesla as permanent.

The company didn’t respond to a request for comment about the situation.

Here is where Tesla is cutting jobs in the Bay Area:

— Fremont, 2,267 layoffs. These include staffing reductions at Tesla facilities on Fremont Boulevard, Kato Road, Warm Springs Road and Page Avenue.

— Palo Alto, 486 job cuts. These include layoffs at Tesla sites on Page Mill Road, Hanover Street, El Camino Real and at the Stanford Shopping Center.

All told, Tesla has reported plans to jettison more than 3,000 Bay Area jobs since 2022. The company is not the only one in the tech sector to make significant cuts in recent years.

In December 2022, Facebook app owner Meta Platforms revealed plans to chop 2,564 jobs in the Bay Area, primarily in Menlo Park. And in January 2023, Google disclosed plans to slash 1,629 jobs in the Bay Area, mainly in Mountain View.

In addition to the Bay Area staffing reductions, Tesla is also cutting 515 jobs in Lathrop, in San Joaquin County, and 64 positions in Burbank, in Los Angeles County.

The staffing reductions are all scheduled to occur over a two-week period beginning on June 14, according to the WARN letters.

During the conference call, Tesla executives at one point described the company as a tree and at another point as an evolving organism, saying the time had arrived for Tesla to conduct job cuts.

“We’re basically going through that exercise wherein we’re like, hey, how do we set this company right for the next phase of growth,” Vaibhav Taneja, Tesla’s chief financial officer, told analysts. “The way to think about it is any tree which grows — it needs pruning. This is the pruning exercise that we went through.”

Musk said in a somewhat rambling comment Tesla needed to trim staffing levels and refocus.

“It is time to reorganize the company for the next phase of growth and you really need to reorganize it, just like a human, when we start off with one cell and kind of zygote, kind of blastocyst and you start growing arms and legs and briefly, you have a tail,” Musk said.

To which Piper Sandler analyst Alex Potter interjected, “But you shed the tail.”

“You shed the tail, hopefully,” Musk responded. “A company is kind of like a creature growing. And if you don’t reorganize it for different phases of growth, it will fail. You can’t have the same organizational structure if you’re 10 cells versus 100 versus 1 million versus 1 billion versus 1 trillion.”

The cuts came after Tesla’s first-quarter earnings dismayed analysts.

“Clearly Tesla is going through a challenging period of delivery growth and this story will not turnaround overnight so patience is required,” Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush, wrote in a research note for investors in the wake of the earnings call.

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