India’s preferred airline, IndiGo, and global audio streaming platform, Spotify have partnered to launch 6E Shuffle, a first-of-its-kind experience that generates exclusive travel playlists for users based on their journeys and preferences. As a value add, IndiGo and Spotify are also offering customers, booking and travelling directly with IndiGo, 4 months of complimentary Spotify Premium subscription.
Through this partnership, listeners will enjoy personalised playlists based on their travel destinations, mood, and genre preference. The playlists will be available for customers to access once they download the Spotify app. Additionally, by leveraging Spotify’s innovative technology, travellers will receive curated destination suggestions for their next travel, tailored to their music tastes and preferences. They can also visit the IndiGo destination pages for more information on these cities.
Recent data from Spotify revealed that listeners in India search for travel-related music on Spotify an average of 22 lac+ times per month, and the highest volume of these searches can be attributed to Gen Z listeners, particularly 18–24-year-olds. Interestingly, the most common time for these searches is between 3-4pm, and, this year, travel-related music searches on Spotify in India peaked on April 20.
With 6E Shuffle, both brands bring together travel and music — elements that are inseparable and have a huge emotional connection with consumer behaviour, especially when it comes to creating and unlocking core memories. As a part of this collaboration, the brands will release a video featuring I-Pop and film artist, Armaan Malik, to inspire IndiGo travellers to ‘tune in and take off in style, as there’s music for miles’. The campaign highlights that there’s music for every journey, no matter wherever you go, or whatever the mood, ‘there’s a 6E playlist for that’.
Neetan Chopra, Chief Digital and Information Officer, IndiGo, said: “We are delighted to announce our collaboration with Spotify to offer our customers a one-of-a-kind travel experience with a complimentary 4-month subscription and personalised playlists. Travel and music are interconnected, and this partnership reflects our commitment to meeting the ever-evolving needs of our customers and enabling memorable journeys. Our vision is to create an immersive experience for our customers, while we remain dedicated to delivering affordable, hassle-free, and on-time travel experiences across our extensive network.”
Neha Ahuja, Director of Marketing, Spotify India, added: “Music is an integral part of travel, whether for work or holidays, and our partnership with IndiGo is so relevant because it allows us to tap into existing and new users. We know that travel is one of the most important use cases for music, and this year alone, listeners on Spotify in India created several lakhs of playlists around travelling, with more than 7.5 lac playlists created around ‘driving’, followed by ‘travel’, ‘bus’, and ‘road trip’. We are always looking to collaborate with brands with whom our synergy matches, and we can reach the right audience, meaningfully, and this is one such example.”
Hubby – the worldwide mobile internet solution for travel sellers and travel providers to keep customers connected in-destination – has confirmed that it is about to close a successful second full year of trading that proves its B2B2C sales route hypothesis.
Launched in December 2022, Hubby’s B2B2C tech solution enhances customer service and creates cross-selling opportunities for travel sellers and providers by offering worldwide internet as a value-add for their end customers whilst in-destination – all at a neglible price point through the use of affordable eSIMs.
As the second full year of trading enters the fourth quarter Hubby is pleased to confirm that revenues will hit around €750,000 and that already the company has delivered over 175,000 eSIMs through its B2B2C sales routes, including via travel agencies and tour operators.
Thijs van de Wijk, Founder & CEO of Hubby, comments:“What an exciting second full year this has been for our business and I’d like to thank all of our B2B2C partners who have placed their faith in us to provide their travellers with internet in destination.
“At the outset we felt very strongly that selling eSIMs as an ancillary on commission to consumers was already on its way out and that the best way to distribute them was as a value-add through travel providers and partners – having such players instead use them as an enabler of value for their clients that opens the door to cross-selling and improved customer experiences. What other product could you offer your customer for just a few euros that adds so much to their experience and directly benefits you? Our clients report increased bottom line and NPS scores and the word is getting out there, we’ve had enquiries from all four corners of the world.
“Watch this space for more news as we expand the team and announce significant partnerships with sellers and providers of travel to take Hubby global.”
To date the company has been funded with €450,000 raised from friends-and-family. But now that the Hubby B2B2C sales model has been proven the company is in advanced dicsussions with investors for a seed fundraising in the €2m to €3m range and more details will be announced very soon.
Representative Image: Underwater sunlight on a coral reef with tropical fish in the south Pacific ocean, natural scene, New Caledonia, Oceania
Mabrian’s analysis highlights a growing gap between rising travel demand and lagging air connectivity in Oceania. While key markets like the United States, India, China, and Europe show increased interest in traveling to the region for 2024, air seat availability in many areas remains below pre-pandemic levels, which presents a challenge for Oceania’s travel & tourism industry.
As the travel industry in Oceania continues to bounce back from the pandemic, latest insight from Mabrian, the global travel intelligence platform, reveals promising travel intention trends from markets like the United States India, China, and Europe, signalling potential growth for 2024 and beyond, as well as overall travel demand recovery; as Oceania is facing an uneven recouping in air connectivity, a key challenge to be addressed to harness the demand trends. Mabrian, part of The Data Appeal Company – Almawave Group, shared this analysis with World Travel & Tourism Council, hosting its Global Summit 2024 from October 8th to 10th, 2024 in Perth, Australia.
Oceania is formed by 14 countries (UN Statistics Board) grouped in four macro regions: Australia & New Zealand, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, the majority of them islands of different sizes. The continent boasts exceptional diversity, turning this area of the world in a bucket-list destination for outdoors, nature and adventure lovers; as well as for travellers, eager to explore the unique cultural expressions and heritage of its native communities.
According to UN Tourism latest year-round data (2023), arrivals (17.46M arrivals in 2019 vs 12.87M in 2023) and international tourist receipts (61.4 USD billion in 2019 vs 57.9 USD billion in 2023) to Oceania is close to reaching 2019 records. As many destinations around the world, the pandemic posed extreme challenges to travel & tourism industry in the region and, for Oceania, recovery took longer: The majority of destinations fully reopened in early 2022, or later than same year, being the restrictions among the toughest globally, similar to some Asian countries, which were key source markets for Oceania’s destinations. Demand reconfigured between 2020 and 2023, where it showed signs of bouncing back to traditional arrivals’ trends.
But, how does 2024 and early 2025 looks like for Oceania, in terms of travel demand? To perform this analysis, Mabrian dig into two indicators: seats availability variation and scheduling to understand to what extent connectivity recovered after the pandemic, and Share of Searches Index* for Oceania, based on flight searches for the first semester of 2024, to travel throughout 2024 and until late winter 2025.
Air connectivity, a shared challenge for oceania
Due to its geography, Oceania is highly dependent on the air connectivity, domestic, regional, and international, so it is a crucial competitiveness factor for this continent. According to Mabrian’s travel intelligence, overall regional connectivity to and within Oceania’s countries has not fully recovered after the pandemic. When comparing scheduled inbound and domestic air seats for the second half of 2024 with 2019 same period, for Oceania’s four macro regions that conform Oceania (Australia & New Zealand, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia), data shows that only Polynesia is 25% above 2019 figures, while Micronesia is -31% below, Melanesia -17%, and Australia & New Zealand are -7% 2019 levels.
“The path to recovery in terms of air capacity is slower when compared to other world regions, in particular some with a strong travel & tourism market, such as Southern Europe, Western Asia or Latin America, recovering +10% to 15% of 2019 seats, posing a relevant challenge to be addressed considering the characteristic insularity of Oceania”, indicates Carlos Cendra, Partner and Director of Marketing and Communications at Mabrian.
Focusing on inbound air seats to scheduled Oceania’s destinations for full year 2024 (compared to 2023 and 2019), Mabrian’s travel intelligence shows that air capacity recovery is progressive, and indicates an uneven recoup of air connectivity in the area favouring four destinations: Tahiti (French Polynesia), Nadi (Fiji), as well as Perth and the Sunshine Coast (Australia).
Tahiti (French Polynesia) increased +29% air seats availability compared 2019 and +1% growth compared to 2023; whereas, since 2019, Nadi (Fiji) grew +24% inbound air seats, +10% when compared to 2023. Perth (+9% more seats than 2019 and +13% year over year) and the Sunshine Coast (+33% more than in 2019, even though reduced -12% since last year) are the exceptions to other Australian destinations, such as Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, or even to Auckland (New Zealand), all of them increasing air connectivity inter-annually, but still below 2019 seats availability.
Finally, when compared to full 2019, scheduled air seats indicate that inbound air connectivity is bouncing back +5% to Auckland (New Zealand), and +4% to both Queenstown (Australia) and to Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea). In fact, the capital of Papua New Guinea features a strong growing trend, as air seats’ availability increases +13% year over year.
Demand timidly recovers in India, US and Europe, and China’s bounce back
Mabrian’s Share of Searches Index, based on flight searches for the first semester of 2024, to travel throughout 2024 and until late winter 2025; reveals that United States, India, China, and Europe, key markets of Oceania, are showing signs of recovery or stabilization.
Travel intention from Chinese market is the steadiest, as grows up to +4.7% compared to the same period last year. India also shows a moderate +1.4% inter-annual growth in inspirational demand, while Europe (+1% year over year) and United States (+0.8% year over year) increases also indicates a paced recovery. “Travel intention data is very promising, as it will contribute to push the much-needed air seats availability to cater to it, as well as to pent-up demand that is considering travelling to Oceania in the medium and long-term”, explains Cendra.
Data illustrates the gap between travel intention and air connectivity. This difference is particularly acute for Sydney and Melbourne (Australia), and also for Auckland (New Zealand), where global seats availability has not recovered yet to 2019 levels. Inspirational demand to travel to Sydney during 2024 and until late winter 2025 from the United States, China or Europe tripled compared to the same period last years’, and increased 160% from India. In the case of Melbourne, demand from India multiplied by 3, from Europe increased 121%, from China grew 158%, and almost 80% from the United States. The appetite to visit New Zealand’s capital is also evident in these for markets, as travel intention grew year over year +86% from China, 79% from the United States, +70% from Europe and +60% from India.
As Mabrian’s spokesperson points outs “Oceania’s destinations must follow up on these demand trends as it offers clear hints on which are the opportunity markets to tap into to reinforce and rebuild air connectivity to the region”.
RAKxa Integrative Wellness, a leading integrative wellness destination in Thailand, unveils an exclusive series of seasonal Wellness Retreats at the idyllic Castelfalfi resort in Tuscany. Building on the success of the RAKxa Wellness Spa, which opened at Castelfalfi in March 2024, these retreats offer a unique, soul-enriching experience, allowing guests to immerse themselves in the beauty and serenity of Tuscany’s changing seasons.
The year-round retreats are meticulously curated to reflect the unique characteristics of each Tuscan season and aligns with RAKxa’s five interconnected pillars of wellness: Nutrition, Exercise, Stress Management, Rest and Restorative Treatment, guiding guests towards their health goals using RAKxa’s holistic and integrative approach, now brought to the heart of Tuscany
Launching in October, RAKxa’s bespoke wellness packages invite guests to experience the rich natural offerings of the Autumnal Tuscan landscape. Each retreat draws inspiration from Castelfalfi’s rolling hills and natural healing energy, offering revitalising seasonal experiences that include nature hikes, truffle hunting, wine or olive oil tastings depending on the season. Guests will also enjoy wellness welcome amenities, such as essential oils to promote restful sleep and energising snacks to sustain them throughout the day.
Guests can choose from various retreat durations: a one-day experience to enhance an existing stay, a two-day retreat for a deeper immersion, or a Four-day rebalance journey for a full wellness experience. Each wellness experience had been designed to enhance their existing stay at Castelfalfi.
Depending on the length of stay, the retreat program include the following in line with RAKxas Integrative Wellness Pillars to wholeness:
Nutrition: While traditional italian cuisine is a highlight in Tuscany, guests have the option to complement their wellness experience with RAKxa’s anti-inflammatory wellness cuisine. This menu features seasonal, locally-sourced produce prepared and created by Castelfalfi’s executive chef Davide De Simone.
Exercise: A selection of customised workout sessions to support and elevate their fitness journey, crafted to meet any specific goals.
Stress Management: Engage in local activities such as truffle hunting, and wine or olive oil tastings, all inspired by the season. These experiences provide a unique way to manage stress while connecting with Tuscany’s natural and cultural richness.
Restorative Treatments: A selection of 90-min wellness treatments at the RAKxa Wellness Spa, created specifically to rebalance guests depending on their health goals.
Rest: Indulge in restful sleep with in-room wellness amenities. Essential oils and other thoughtful touches are provided to enhance relaxation and promote a serene sleep environment amidst the tranquil Tuscan landscape.
Personalised Wellness Itinerary: For those opting for the four-day retreat, a consultation with a RAKxa health and wellness advisor will be available. This personalised session will help tailor a wellness itinerary based on individual health goals, incorporating specific recommendations for food, exercise, and activities.
RAKxa’s seasonal Wellness Retreats at Castelfalfi promise an enriching blend of Tuscan charm and integrative wellness, offering an unparalleled opportunity to rebalance their well-being in one of the world’s most stunning locales.
Delta is increasing connectivity to Europe with the addition of a brand-new nonstop service from its hub in Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to Copenhagen (CPH) starting May 2025, operating three times weekly. With the addition of this new route, Delta will provide customers traveling from MSP nonstop access to seven European destinations .
“Delta continues to strengthen its global network and offers unparalleled access to Europe from Minneapolis-St. Paul with this new direct service to Copenhagen, one of Europe’s most vibrant and culturally rich cities,” said Joe Esposito, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Network Planning. “This route creates an invaluable connection between two major SkyTeam partner hubs, providing unrivaled connectivity and travel options for customers traveling between Scandinavia and North America.”
“We are excited that Delta is expanding direct service to Europe from MSP next year, offering even more connections in that region through its new SkyTeam partner Scandinavian Airlines System,” said Brian Ryks, CEO and executive director of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which owns and operates MSP Airport.“Many Minnesotans are of Scandinavian heritage, and this new route offers great access to support deeper cultural ties and the continuation of cross-Atlantic business connections between our regions.”
“This is really great news, and we look forward to welcoming another route with Delta Air Lines at Copenhagen Airport,” said Peter Krogsgaard, CCO at Copenhagen Airport. “Delta is one of the world’s largest airlines, and with a new direct route from Copenhagen to Minneapolis, many travelers will have direct access to one of Delta’s key hubs, offering numerous connections to destinations across North America, the Caribbean, and Mexico. We are also excited to welcome even more American visitors, who with a direct route to Copenhagen, not only have the opportunity to visit one of the world’s most beautiful cities, but also gain easy access to the many routes from Copenhagen to destinations across Europe.”
D-EDGE Hospitality Solutions, a provider of Central Reservation Systems (CRS) and GDS connectivity for thousands of hotels worldwide, has released new findings showing that the Global Distribution System (GDS) is more cost-effective than widely believed. With the business travel sector making a strong recovery post-pandemic, D-EDGE highlights the opportunities hotels may miss by underusing the GDS.
Drawing from comprehensive booking data and interviews with hoteliers across Europe and Asia Pacific, D-EDGE’s research reveals that GDS bookings consistently outperform other channels in key areas such as average daily rate (ADR), length of stay, and cancellation rates. By analysing this data and incorporating feedback from its hotel clients, D-EDGE found that net commissions on GDS bookings average between 18% and 20%—significantly lower than the commission rates of many Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), which can reach up to 28%.
The UK’s largest regional airline collected the prestigious accolade last night (Wednesday 9 October) at a formal awards dinner held as part of ERA’s General Assembly. Loganair was selected as Sustainable Airline of the Year for its concrete steps towards reducing its environmental footprint.
Judges highlighted Loganair’s collaboration with Cranfield Aerospace Solutions to convert its Britten Norman Islander aircraft, which operates inter-island routes in Orkney, to hydrogen cell power. The partnership hopes to achieve the first zero emissions passenger flights worldwide.
They also praised Loganair’s first all-electric turnaround of an aircraft at Stornoway Airport, where the airline is in the process of replacing over 100 pieces of ground service equipment (GSE) to reduce emissions further and acknowledged its groundbreaking work with the UK Met Office.
Loganair’s fleet has been fitted with sensors to gather critical data that will help to increase understanding of and mitigate against the effects of non-CO2 emissions, such as contrails. The project aims to tackle misconceptions about regional aviation’s environmental impact and could also improve the accuracy of weather forecasts.
More recently, Loganair announced a new partnership with Heart Aerospace to develop hybrid-electric aircraft for use across the airline’s extensive Scottish and UK network.
Luke Farajallah, CEO, Loganair, said: “Being recognised by ERA for our sustainability initiatives is a significant accolade and testament to the innovative approach we have long prized at Loganair.
“Our GreenSkies programme, introduced in 2021 to mitigate the environmental impact of flying, was the first of its kind in the UK and we continue to be a pioneering force for change, exploring new technologies and forming partnerships dedicated to reducing aviation emissions. “We are committed to introducing low and zero emissions flights where we can throughout our network and hope to offer the first such route by the end of the decade.”
Montserrat Barriga, Director General, ERA, said: “Loganair has shown exceptional dedication to sustainability, not just through promises, but with concrete actions that are driving real change.
“From pioneering electric turnarounds to groundbreaking hydrogen cell projects, Loganair is at the forefront of sustainable aviation. Their innovative partnerships and commitment to reducing environmental impact demonstrate their leadership in shaping a greener future for the industry. We are delighted to honour Loganair for their forward-thinking approach and tangible contributions to sustainability.”
ERA is a trade association representing the European aviation industry. Its membership includes more than 50 airlines and 150 associate and affiliate members who jointly cover the entire spectrum of the aviation sector – airlines, airports, manufacturers and suppliers. The annual ERA awards acknowledge the successes and achievements of the regional aviation sector.
Founded in 1962, Loganair is now the largest regional airline in the UK by passenger numbers and fleet size, operating more than 70 routes throughout the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia.
As the days get shorter, darker and colder, Brits are in need of a getaway during our imminent school half term. Bookings through online travel agent Opodo reveals their most popular destination, as well as how their travelling choices have changed compared to this time last year.
Most popular booked destination:
During the October half term week in both 2023 and 2024*, Amsterdam takes top spot: the number 1 destination for UK travellers in this period.
Istanbul has climbed to 2nd most popular destination, from 4th place in 2023.
Some destinations are newcomers compared to last year’s top 10, including New Delhi (3rd place), Antalya (8th place) and Madrid (9th place). Then there are Prague, Dublin and New York City which have all fallen out of the top 10 compared to 2023.
Which airports are most in demand?
For October half term this year, most travellers (27%) will depart from Heathrow Airport, with Gatwick Airport not far behind (26%). Manchester International takes third place (11%) and Luton International comes in fourth (7% ). Stansted, Newcastle, Bristol and Turnhouse all rank as the chosen departure point for 3% of the total.
Length of stay:
The majority of travellers during this October half term are preferring a quick trip away, with the majority (36%) choosing to jet off for just 2-3 days. 30% of travellers are opting for a longer stay of 4-5 days, while less than a quarter (22%) are travelling for the full week (6-7 days). Just 13% are away for over a week (8-9 days).
Popular UK flight destinations:
Brits are also booking flights for domestic travel, with the most popular destinations being Belfast (23%), London (18%), and Edinburgh (10%), with Glasgow not far behind (9%).
Visitors to the UK:
During our October Half Term dates the UK will also be welcoming travellers from abroad. Their favourite destination is our bustling capital, with London ranking at a whopping 74% of booked flights from abroad. Edinburgh comes second, with 10%. And who is coming to the UK during this period? German travellers are the keenest (25%) of bookings, with French not far behind (18%).
Here are the top destinations for 2023 and 2024, according to Opodo:
2024
2023
Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Istanbul
Paris
New Delhi
Barcelona
Paris
Istanbul
Rome
Prague
Barcelona
Lisbon
Lisbon
Rome
Antalya
Malaga
Madrid
Dublin
Malaga
New York City
For Brits still hoping to travel during October half term, there are lots of great late deals and Opodo Prime savings to be made, including:
Manchester to Amsterdam: Return flights – Departure on 28th October from Manchester International to Amsterdam Schiphol, returning on 30th October from Amsterdam Schiphol to Manchester International
London to Istanbul: Return flights – Departure on 28th October from London Luton to Istanbul Airport, returning on 2nd November from Istanbul Airport to London Gatwick
Belfast to Edinburgh: Return flights – Departure on 31st October from Belfast International to Edinburgh Turnhouse, returning on 3rd November from Edinburgh Turnhouse to Belfast International
HBX Group is once again bringing together the world’s leading travel industry professionals at its MarketHubs, with dates confirmed for 2025 for Asia and Europe in Macau and the Algarve.
HBX Group, global B2B company that provides a suite of interconnected travel and tech solutions, has announced the much-anticipated dates and locations for its flagship events MarketHubs in 2025, under the theme, “Connecting Horizons.”
‘Connecting Horizons’ underlines HBX Group’s commitment to driving collaboration across the industry, while pushing to broaden the perspectives of the global travel industry. This year’s theme seeks to showcase the importance of bringing together different ideas, cultures and industries to drive innovation and growth.
Carlos Muñoz, Chief Commercial Officer & Deputy CEO of HBX Group, said: “The MarketHubs by HBX Group are more than just conferences; they represent a convergence of visions and efforts aimed at inspiring industry leaders. These events reflect our commitment to innovation and are designed to encourage leaders to explore new opportunities and tackle challenges with creative solutions.”
MarketHub Asia
Taking place from February 11-14, 2025, MarketHub Asia 2025 will be hosted at Studio City Macau, an integrated resort located in the heart of Cotai, Macau. With over 450 travel professionals and thought leaders expected to attend, Studio City Macau will be hosting the dynamic event environment that will welcome industry thought leaders and innovators from across the region.
MarketHub Europe
Scheduled for April 1-4, 2025, MarketHub Europe will be hosted at Tivoli Marina Vilamoura Algarve Resort, from Minor Hotels, a distinguished venue located along the Algarve coast in Portugal. Known for its prime waterfront location, Tivoli Marina Vilamoura Algarve Resort offers a serene and inspiring setting for the event, which will welcome 450 participants to further explore the evolving landscape of the industry.
MarketHub is an invitation-only event attended by HBX Group’s partners.
It’s official! Video is the new battleground in tours and activities.
Last week GetYourGuide CEO Johannes Reck posted on LinkedIn about their fall release day, Unlocked 2024.
Among some new AI productivity hacks around listing creation and language, Reck spent a full paragraph explaining GYG’s ambitions around video.
“We believe videos are the best way to show travelers what their next trip will feel like, but they have to be authentic to work,” said Reck. “So we’ve teamed up with our 10,000-strong creator community to produce authentic, high-quality content at scale.”
This follows an earlier announcement from GYG competitor Klook, who has teamed up with social media giant TikTok. According to a report on Social Discovery Insights, “This new feature makes it easier for both individual users and entire friend groups to book trips directly through TikTok, and is unlikely to be the only travel partnership that the platform makes in the near future.”
Klook claims double the amount of creators to GYG. “Klook’s “Kreator” influencer program, which has enlisted over 20,000 content creators, is central to this initiative.”
A cursory glance at the Klook app showed video headers for products already in place. Of the two I looked at, one had a professional supplier provided video of Puffing Billy and then next a seemingly UGC video of a koala in a tree as part of the Great Ocean Road tour.
Why the sudden rush to the video door? The answer is probably a combination of two things – conversion uplift and Airbnb.
A widely quoted report by EyeView states that by adding video to a product page you can increase conversion by up to a staggering 80%. Even if the result was only half of that, it is already enough to stop everything else and get video on those pages. And that seems to be what GYG are now madly rushing to catch up on.
The second is the ever looming shadow of Airbnb. On an earnings call in August this year, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky foreshadowed the relaunch of their experiences platform for around May 2025.
Pointedly Chesky stated; “Experiences should be sold video first.” and “Experiences need to be marketed with videos, not just photos. They need to be discoverable in the Airbnb app…”
We can definitely expect Airbnb to take video a step further than the others by making video part of discovery and possibly using AI to personalise with “intent based search” capabilities. This fits perfectly with Chesky’s 11 star experience vision.
With its brand strength and marketing power, Airbnb has the ability to really put a dent in the “experiences” world. Chesky said he is only interested in building billion dollar verticals within his business. And experiences are first among those after short term accommodation rental.
No doubt they’ll have their own creator program (30,000 strong! maybe). This should be an absolute boon for existing influencers and casual creators to make a bit of money whilst travelling around over the next few years.
Viator, the other major OTA in the space has no videos on product pages that we could find nor has made any announcements to change this. And that seems very strange. Except video has always been hard to execute and maybe it just sits in the too-hard-basket of their roadmap currently.
As usual, the suppliers in travel and some of the less sophisticated re-sellers could be left flatfooted in the video onslaught. But it doesn’t need to be that way. And actually, with the addition of Videreo, it doesn’t need to be.
Videreo is a new startup that is giving everyone in travel the opportunity of playing on the same ground as these larger players. And for SMB’s they can do it absolutely for free.
“Any small business can upload their best 10 videos and use our platform absolutely free” said Videreo co-founder Adrian Villabruna. “Supporting small businesses is part of our values. The little guy or girl in travel often is left out of technological innovation. We don’t think that is right or fair, if we want travel to reach its potential of creating true value in the world.”
With Videreo, a travel business can display scrolling vertical videos just like in social media but here they sit alongside a map to give the user more context and functionality. The user can see on the map where an experience that takes their interest is located to know whether that is really practical for their trip or can search the map first for their area of interest and watch videos from there to make their choices.
Once the user finds the right experience for them, they simply click the link on the video straight to the experience product page to checkout.
“The whole thing can be up and running in 20 mins if you’ve already got the videos” said Villabruna. Most tour operators would have at least 10 videos of their products and business already created for Instagram and TikTiok.
We can expect the Airbnb experience to be closer to what Videreo offers than what is seen on GYG or Klook currently.
For bigger players, Videreo has a lot more tech to offer including the ability to offer intent based search with video from leveraging deep AI tech and extensive video and product tagging. “We can take the next levels down from the major OTA’s from last position to first position in less than a day,” said Villabruna.
Disclosure: Tony Carne is the other co-founder of Videreo.
