Trip4real on giving travelers an experience like locals- Startup Story #17

“Book a ticket and just leave”, Yeah its as easy as this!

Started by Gloria Molins, Trip4real is a startup in Europe that helps a traveler get of its kind experience by getting to know a place through a local. You no longer have to search across various travel websites to plan your travel, you can just interact with a local and find out more about the place & its culture. It’s a platform that also lets locals list their activities which travelers can experience. Hence making it a platform to not only plan travel but also interact with locals.

Isn’t that exciting?

In conversation with Gloria Molins where she shares her journey and concept of a peer-to-peer business.

Q1. Tell us a little about Trip4Real and your personal motivation for starting this business.

Trip4real is a peer-to-peer experiences platform that connects local experts with travelers looking for tangible experiences across Europe. Trip4real was founded in 2013 in Barcelona and today we’re connecting travelers with passionate locals in London, Paris, Rome, Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Dublin, and Edinburgh. Locals get to make money participating in local tourism economies, and travelers get to really experience a place from the inside out. We get people away from the tourist traps!

I have spent years traveling the world and exploring new cultures, and I realized that for me the best moments were those where I was able to really immerse myself with the locals. That’s when I got to discover places that were off the map and away from the mobs of tourists that swallow the city. Those were the moments in which I truly enjoyed myself, concluding that traveling, and even life, is not about where you are but really who you are with. I put the pieces together and decided to create an online platform to connect r locals and travelers. Trip4real is a tool for people from all over the world to meet in person to share experiences, stories, and ultimately, cultures.  

Q2. Can you give us a rundown of how Trip4Real works?

Super simple. Travelers visit the website, explore our experiences based on location and travel interest, and book all via the platform, They can chat with locals before they book, or wait and connect once they have their confirmation.

For a local that wants to enlist an activity with us, it is very simple too. First, they have to create a profile on our platform and then submit a travel experience that would later be approved by our quality team. The use of our platform is absolutely free. We retain only an 18% commission from the total cost once the activity has been confirmed and done. We’re on the hunt for new creative locals across Europe, the quirkier and more original the better! If you know anyone 🙂

Q3. Who are your key stakeholders and how are you offering them value?

Our stakeholders include Ferran Adrià (El Bulli Foundation), Toni Segarra (*S, C, P, F), Luis Cuesta (*S, C, P, F), Kibo Ventures, and Caixa Capital Risc. They have a share in trip4real and serve as advisors. It’s great to have such a diverse team.

Q4. What is Trip4Real’s biggest achievement to date? How did you go about accomplishing this?

Our biggest achievement up to date was the first €1 million we raised. It proved the great work we did in our first year and the potential we have to become an international leader in our sector. Just this month we received another round of funding, so we’re at over 2m now. I’d tell you that my biggest achievement is the fact that we’ve had so many positive stories come from our travelers. People don’t always know what p2p travel means, then they try it and fall in love.

Q5. What has been your biggest set back? How did you deal with it?

Peer-to-peer has been well adopted in many sectors of the travel industry, such as apartment rentals. However, peer-to-peer travel activities and experiences are still new concepts to a lot of the world. While people are very receptive to this new concept, some others are more skeptical or have no idea it exists. We face the challenge of educating consumers and getting them to visit our website to discover this new travel tool for themselves.

Q6.Could you shed some light on the technology and tools used to build Trip4Real?

Trip4Real is built mainly over PHP through the development framework Laravel.

Q7.What are some of the hurdles and roadblocks you still face?

We’re working on new product functions including a calendar and app. Watch out!

Q8.What are some the current trends you see in the industry?

In the travel industry, we are moving towards personal connections and creating unforgettable moments. In our case, we are transforming massive tourism into personal and tailored experiences, so locals and travelers really get to know each other. Everyone, including the big OTOs, is talking about experience, we’re here to really give travelers new options.

Q9. There are definitely a lot of companies similar to Trip4Real floating around right now. What are you doing that differentiates you?

We offer a more personal touch in that all of our experiences are tailor-made and led by the ones who know a city the best: its locals. We’re committed to having the widest range of experiences as we cover everything from sports, adventure, gastronomy, workshops, day trips, nightlife… the possibilities are endless. We have anything a traveler could ask for and more.

Q10.Where do you see Trip4Real in five years?

Trip4real is focused on internationalization. We are already the market leader in Spain, the company is committed to product improvement and supply, expansion, and diversifying its range of activities and bespoke tours in Europe. After Europe, we have our eyes set on Latin America.  

Q11.If you had a chance to go back, what would you want to do differently?

Well, there’s always room for improvement, but honestly, I’m very happy with the way we started. My team, my investors…. now I’m focused on product improvements and launching new cities

Q12.Any advice for startups trying to make it big or join the On-Demand space?

There needs to be a human connection behind every concept or idea, otherwise, it won’t resonate with the people that use your service. That and perseverance!

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