21 amazing travel startups every traveler should know (2024)

What are travel startups?

From AI-powered recommendation engines to services that help you book amazing accommodations for a fraction of the price, these travel startups are using technology to upgrade our travel experiences.

Skipper

Founded in 2021, Skipper built tools to ease pain points in hotel transactions for both sides. Guests arrange stays quickly with flexible payment options while hotels enhance ownership of the customer relationship.

Skipper’s software centralizes bookings onto an easy-to-use, commission-free platform. Hoteliers gain automation with control – managing rates and availability internally while safely accepting various payment forms.

Airalo

Founded in 2018, Airalo aims to replace expensive roaming plans and overseas SIM card hassles with easy eSIM data packages delivering low local rates in over 200 destinations.activation

By selling eSIM data like apps, Airalo provides flexibility impossible with physical SIMs. Their on-demand model caters to frequent flyers, remote workers, and global citizens who value connectivity.

Tripsider

Founded in 2019, Tripsider built an algorithm that asks users questions about their ideal trip to generate custom multi-day travel itineraries complete with hotels, activities, and transportation. Travelers can book instantly or modify suggestions.

By automating the trip planning and packaging process, Tripsider aims to simplify creating personalized, curated vacations. Their AI delivers the benefits of a travel agent in an easy mobile app.

Going

Founded in 2015, Going uses technology and human expertise to uncover and vet cheap flight deals that can save members up to 90% off regular fares if booked quickly. Deals span major airlines as well as mistake fares.

By providing access to limited-time offers, Going enables members to travel more often for less. The deals newsletter caters to flexible travelers looking for affordable adventures, getaways, and trips home to visit family.

The Hotels Network

Founded in 2016, The Hotels Network offers an integrated suite of self-learning website tools to analyze visitor behavior and curate unique on-site experiences, driving conversion. Their technology aims to replace costly OTAs.

By optimizing the digital experience for each prospective guest, The Hotels Network empowers independent properties to compete with bigger chains. Their data-driven platform enables personalization at scale.

LOVU

Launched in 2018, LOVU handpicks romantic hotels, activities, packages, and vendors while providing personalized recommendations and inspiration for crafting unique trips tailored to each love story and budget.

By becoming experts on destinations and experiences for romance travel, LOVU simplifies trip planning to help couples focus on connection. Their curated marketplace showcases dream locations worldwide.

Troop

Founded in 2017, Troop offers travel managers data tools combining predictive analytics with human expertise to manage in-person events, control costs, ensure Duty of Care, and report on carbon emissions across their travel program.

By centralizing travel data and applying intelligence, Troop enables strategically managed travel supporting employee productivity, sustainability initiatives, and compliance. Their technology delivers control over complex corporate travel ecosystems.

Pickyourtrail

Founded in 2014, Pickyourtrail allows users to craft personalized itineraries from scratch or customize suggested trip plans spanning sightseeing, food, adventure, culture and more. Travelers can book flights, hotels, activities, and more in just a few clicks.

By combining algorithmic recommendations with the freedom to personalize trips, Pickyourtrail aims to make travel planning effortless while putting travelers in control. Their tailored trips bridge the gap between pre-set packages and solo DIY planning.

Whimstay

Launched in 2020, Whimstay provides a platform for both hospitality providers to upload unsold room inventory at deep discounts and for travelers to find budget-friendly spontaneous lodging as they explore destinations. Deals cater to the flexible.

By enabling easy monetization of last-minute availability, Whimstay creates value for accommodation providers while giving travelers access to unused room capacity for less, optimized by their proprietary deal-scoring algorithm.

Fly Now Pay Later

Launched in 2019, Fly Now Pay Later partners with major travel brands to integrate installment payment options at checkout both online and in-destination. Approved customers can split their purchase from 3 to 24 months.

By providing flexible payment solutions, Fly Now Pay Later aims to make dream vacations more accessible and increase booking conversions and customer satisfaction for travel companies. Their model aligns extending credit with trip timing.

Omio

Founded in 2013, Omio centralizes travel inventory across providers into a unified search interface where travelers can check schedules and buy tickets spanning everything from budget buses to high-speed rail in one place, optimizing complex itineraries across multiple legs.

By aggregating disparate providers into a consistent experience, Omio simplifies planning and booking point-to-point travel across cities, countries, and continents. Their innovations provide a new booking standard for connected multimodal mobility in the digital age.

Surf Air

Founded in 2013, Surf Air introduced an innovative per-seat unlimited flight subscription allowing members hassle-free access to a private flight network spanning key regional business and leisure destinations. Their model maximizes aircraft utilization.

By pioneering “flying as a service” and electrifying their fleet, Surf Air aims to improve convenience and sustainability in regional travel underserved by commercial flights. Their innovations merge the benefits of aviation’s speed with ground transport’s flexibility.

Wanderlog

Launched in 2017, Wanderlog makes planning group or solo trips incredibly easy by centralizing research, discussion, bookings, and coordination. Users can collaborate in real-time to build trips incorporating their must-sees and can’t misses.

By combining map-based visualization with synchronized planning tools, Wanderlog reimagines unwieldy travel organization for the digital era. Their app simplifies aligning travel priorities for seamless end-to-end trips.

Roadsurfer

Founded in 2016, Roadsurfer offers a peer-to-peer RV rental marketplace stocked with thousands of private and commercial vehicles in over 25 countries. Renters can add gear, unlimited mileage, and trip insurance during booking.

By granting access to a wide variety of recreational vehicles and trip configurations, Roadsurfer makes RV travel more accessible and tailored to each trip context and budget. Their data intelligence optimizes availability.

Tentrr

Launched in 2014, Tentrr partners with farmers, ranchers, vintners, and other private landowners to open up beautiful acres for outdoor lodging and recreation not otherwise open to the public. Guests book sites online.

By granting access to private lands, Tentrr unlocks one-of-a-kind camping for guests while providing new revenue streams for property owners. Their model expands lodging capacity benefiting both travelers and communities.

Lodgify

Founded in 2014, Lodgify offers an easy-to-use digital solution for managing listings, reservations, and guest stays across major channels like Airbnb and Booking.com as well as direct bookings. Their tools simplify operations.

By centralizing management of multiple income channels into one platform, Lodgify enables small vacation rental hosts and hotels to boost bookings and optimize pricing with less manual hassle interfering with guest experiences.

Bespoke

Founded in 2018, Bespoke develops natural language processing chatbots trained on hotel data that understand guest requests and can handle needs like answering common questions, booking restaurants, hailing rides, making reservations, and more around the clock.

By providing an automated yet individualized service layer, Bespoke aims to boost hospitality business revenue, loyalty, and operational efficiency using conversational AI trained on past guest interactions.

TravelPerk

Founded in 2015, TravelPerk offers an intuitive interface consolidating corporate travel booking and administration under one system for improved visibility, savings, traveler satisfaction, and compliance. Their solution aims to transform travel into a customer-centric experience.

By combining traveler-friendly consumer interfaces with powerful travel manager functionality, TravelPerk delivers consumer-grade business travel tailored for each company’s needs and policies. Their innovations point to the next-gen of managed travel.

MyFlexBox

Founded in 2015, MyFlexBox deploys state-of-the-art automated pickup stations in high-demand areas that allow contactless courier dropoff and resident retrieval of deliveries using one-time access codes. This provides convenience along with security.

By streamlining delivery handoffs in a space-efficient way, MyFlexBox benefits residents, retailers, and shipping companies alike by reducing missed deliveries and staff time spent managing packages. Their network model scales access.

Exoticca

Founded in 2010, Exoticca combines proprietary algorithms sifting through billions of travel permutations with human expertise to deliver personalized trip recommendations matching travelers to customized itineraries incorporating must-see destinations at optimized value.

By tech-empowering tour package personalization, Exoticca provides a tailored alternative to rigid group trips and overwhelming DIY planning for cultural exploration. Their innovations blend customization with local know-how at scale.

Convious

Founded in 2013, Convious combines a direct booking engine, centralized reservation system, and analytics suite tailored specifically for tour, activity and attraction vendors. Their platform aims to modernize legacy leisure industry tech stacks.

By integrating siloed systems into an all-in-one solution, Convious helps vendors optimize online distribution and operations to boost direct bookings. Their industry focus provides deep functionality where generic software falls short.

What is Lorem Ipsum?

From platforms extracting big data to curate ultra-personalized trips to services scoring you jaw-dropping deals on hotels, these travel startups  are replacing travel stress with travel bliss.