Welcome to Travel Massive.
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This page contains 5 sections: developer log, member activity, latest posts, upcoming meetups, and classified ads.
Here's 10 things that happened most recently:
Here are the 10 most recent posts:
Thanks to everyone from the community who joined [Barcelona Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/posts/barcelona-travel-massive-794149736) and YES-Trips at Kafuné for our [FutureTravel Summit afterparty](www.travelmassive.com/events/barcelona-travel-massive-futuretravel-summit-afterparty-7273190576). See the photos in the gallery above.
The room was buzzing until the late evening with startups, founders and travel professionals from Barcelona's tourism industry and attendees from the FutureTravel Summit. Companies represented included *Airwallex, byAir, hoppswap, Secret Experiences, SiteMinder, Stoke Travel, Travecta, Waltru, Onix, Uncorked Vinese, DiverDoo, TravelHood, Equera* and many more.
We heard from Barcelona chapter leader [Benjamín Rhatigan](www.travelmassive.com/@benjamin-rhatigan) who welcomed everyone and shared the mission of the community to new members. [Amylee Silva](www.travelmassive.com/@amylee-silva), CEO of Barcelona-based [YES-Trips](yes-trips.com) and our sponsor for the evening, introduced the company's rebrand and the new trips they have recently launched. A game of travel bingo kept everyone moving and making new introductions.
We were also joined by Travel Massive chapter leaders [Casey Mead](www.travelmassive.com/@kckiwigirl) (Melbourne), Thomas Bangert and Katina Moldovan ([Bucharest](www.travelmassive.com/posts/bucharest-travel-massive-159342838)), [Natalya Wissink](www.travelmassive.com/@natalya) (Vietnam) and our founder [Ian Cumming](www.travelmassive.com/@ian) who also joined the FutureTravel Summit.
A big thank you to YES-Trips for their generous support of the evening, to [Kafuné](www.instagram.com/kafune_bcn/) and their friendly staff for hosting us, and to [Ana Metz](www.travelmassive.com/@ana-metz) and the [FutureTravel Summit](www.travelmassive.com/events/futuretravel-summit-barcelona-2026-1465522709) team for joining forces with us.
— See you at the next event!
*To stay up-to-date with upcoming events in Barcelona, join the [Barcelona Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/posts/barcelona-travel-massive-794149736) community, and contact [Benjamín](www.travelmassive.com/@benjamin-rhatigan) if you would like to get involved as a sponsor or supporter.*
Such a fun night! Big thanks to our friends at YES-Trips and Barcelona chapter leader, Benjamin, for hosting. It was awesome to meet so many new amigos :)
It was great to see you all there!
Nice event and people!
One thing I've learned while building my home exchange platform (Habiqo Home Swap) is that getting people interested in home exchange is one thing. Helping them feel confident enough to try it is another.
The idea itself is simple: people open up their homes to one another and, in return, get to experience somewhere new without paying for traditional accommodation. But when you're building a platform around people's homes, trust is at the heart of everything.
We've also developed a virtual credit system so members don't always have to exchange homes at the same time. That flexibility opens up more possibilities for how people travel.
I'm always interested in meeting people working across travel media, tourism, accommodation and travel tech, so I'd love to hear from others in the industry:
What do you think needs to happen for more people to feel comfortable trying home exchange for the first time?
I spent some months housesitting last year and this year, it definitely made me want to start homeswapping! I like that you added a virtual credit system, I think it's a great idea for those times when you can't seem to match timings with eachother! Will definitely give the app a go soon
This is lovely to hear, Victoria! House sitting is also such an interesting way to experience a place, and I can definitely see how enjoying that experience might spark an interest in home swapping too!
And yes, that's one of the reasons we created SandDollars at Habiqo. They give members the freedom to explore other members' homes without having to arrange a reciprocal swap or match travel dates. You earn them by hosting and use them when you're ready to travel.
I'd love for you to give Habiqo a try when you get a chance.
I've done a fair bit of house sitting, so I'd absolutely give house swapping a go!
That's lovely! If you've enjoyed house sitting as a way to travel and stay in people's homes, I think home swapping could be something you'd really enjoy exploring too. It's always interesting to discover different ways of travelling, and we'd love to welcome you to the Habiqo community.
Tell us more about it Molissa
At the [Extraordinary Travel Festival](www.extraordinarytravelfestival.com) in Bangkok, our Travel Tech Panel skipped the trend predictions and focused on what travelers can actually use. In the room were some of the most traveled people in the world, including many who have been to all 193 UN countries. So this wasn't your typical panel at a travel tech conference, but rather a conversation about what digital tools we're all using on our adventures around the planet.
The big themes: personal AI agents are now planning and booking real trips, flexibility is the best money-saver, local recommendations come from local platforms and communities, and in places like China you need the local app stack before you land.
Article image #s5zxo41i56m12qmubfbq
*Rachel Weiss of Lost Plate speaking about how AI is changing the way travelers discover tours.*
The panel was moderated by [Ian Cumming](www.travelmassive.com/@ian), founder of Travel Massive. He was joined by [Joel Oleson](www.linkedin.com/in/joeloleson/), an enterprise architect in big tech (Sony, previously Microsoft); [Keith Van](www.travelmassive.com/@keith-van), Head of Community & Partnerships at [seats.aero](seats.aero); [Matt Gray](www.travelmassive.com/@matt-gray), founder of [Pangea](www.thepangea.app), a social travel app that has acquired several travel apps over the last 18 months; and [Rachel Weiss](www.travelmassive.com/@rachel-weiss), Digital Marketing Manager at [Lost Plate](lostplate.com) food tours and creator of [Rachel Meets China](rachelmeetschina.com), who has lived in China for 11 years. Between them, they brought a wide mix of perspectives, from big tech and award travel to social apps, food tours and life in China.
On stage, we followed the journey of a trip in three stages, planning, booking and experiencing, with each panelist sharing the tools and tips they rely on at every step.
Key Takeaways
1. Personal agents are booking real trips. Joel had his agent research and book a balloon flight in Myanmar, filling in the forms in its own browser. Nearly everyone in the room uses AI to plan; far fewer use agents yet.
2. Always check what the AI books. Joel's agent booked a flight that left him stuck in Ottawa for two days with too much buffer. Review dates and connections before you approve.
3. Go local for local recommendations. In China, use RedNote (now with translation) and Dianping. Google and Tripadvisor results there can be years out of date.
4. Flexibility is the best money-saver. Search wide on Kayak, Google Flights, Kiwi or seats.aero, don't fix your airports or dates, and price the whole trip, not just the flight.
5. Set up the local stack before you land. Alipay with a foreign card, WeChat, Amap (now in English) and a VPN or eSIM in China; LINE in Thailand and Japan; Grab or Uber on arrival.
6. A global eSIM changes arrivals. Keith lands with data on a flat monthly plan that still receives SMS for two-factor codes from home banks.
7. Community still beats algorithms. For remote places and deeper experiences, the panel leans on fellow travelers, local fixers and trusted networks.
Plan: let AI agents do the legwork, then ask the locals
Article image #uyvu5dvll5wseeuzgafi
*The Travel Tech Panel on stage at the Extraordinary Travel Festival.*
Personal agents. Joel has used personal agents for about a year, starting with OpenClaw and now mostly Muse, Meta's agent available in the US, Canada and Japan, plus Grok. For this trip he gave his agent his constraints and let it find which balloon companies flew over Bagan on which days, then fill in the forms and book. He paired that with asking his travel community who had been to Mandalay. For a week in Pond Inlet in Canada's high Arctic, where hotels cost over US$500 a night, agents helped him dig through obscure blogs and forums to plan a camping trip, and he saw narwhals.
When it goes wrong. Using Gemini, Joel asked an agent to book the missing San Diego to Ottawa leg around his existing flights. It looked right, he booked it, then realized it left him two days in Ottawa. He had to change the flight manually.
AI is already changing discovery. Rachel said Lost Plate kept hearing "I used AI" when asking customers how they found them, so they added it to their post-booking survey. A show of hands confirmed it: almost everyone in the room uses AI to plan or book, fewer use agents, and a handful have tried Muse (which is currently only available in the US and Canada).
Trusted local recommendations. Matt, a self-described lazy planner, asks people who have been there, through Pangea, forums and Facebook groups, and uses AI to surface niche forums. Rachel's advice for China is to use the native platforms. RedNote now has translation and is the best place to search for local spots, and Dianping works like a local Tripadvisor. Google and Tripadvisor results in China are often stale, some still from 2019.
Book: search wide and stay flexible
Article image #qainqmeiho9ovgm0xc6p
*Keith Van of seats.aero speaking about finding premium seats with points.*
Search wide, then narrow. Keith said everyone travels differently, so the tech should fit your schedule, budget and flexibility. Frequent travelers often prioritize business class and lounge access for quality of life, which is the niche seats.aero serves by helping people find premium seats with points.
Tips for the best price. Cast your search broad on Kayak, Google Flights and Kiwi, and don't lock in one departure or arrival airport. Price the whole trip too: a cheap flight to Switzerland can be undone by one night in Geneva costing as much as the fare. Flexible search works for stays as well; an Airbnb search for "anywhere in southern Africa, any time, 16+ guests" turned up a Botswana safari lodge with Starlink Wi-Fi that now hosts group trips.
On loyalty, the panel was skeptical. One panelist called themselves "very anti-loyalty" unless a company pays for your flights, since paying more just for status rarely adds up. Joel suggested anchoring to the three big alliances, Oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam, rather than one airline. All agreed it's worth collecting points, especially ones that don't expire.
Audience question: where do you find immersive local experiences? Matt pointed to Viator and GetYourGuide as starting points, but noted they skew touristy; for depth, the MTP and NomadMania communities keep directories of local fixers. Joel searches personal blogs. Keith noted these platforms take a significant commission from operators, so contacting operators directly can get a better rate. Matt expects peer-to-peer recommendation apps like Corner, Flaire and Beli to expand from restaurants into experiences.
Experience: go hyper-local and land connected
Article image #vtob3bkpf3u8osasxd9x
*Joel Oleson speaking about using AI glasses for translation.*
Hyper-local apps. Every region runs on its own apps. In Thailand and Japan, LINE is the main chat app, so local merchants often won't be on WhatsApp. Rachel's China essentials: Alipay linked to a foreign card (cash is barely used), WeChat for messaging, a VPN or eSIM to reach blocked apps like WhatsApp, and Amap for maps. Amap is now available in English and is far more accurate in China than Google Maps.
Staying connected. Keith uses Popcorn, a global eSIM plan (about US$59 a month for new subscribers), so he has data as soon as he lands and can head straight out and call an Uber or Grab. His must-have is a plan that still receives SMS, so two-factor codes from home banks get through. He called it revolutionary compared with hunting for Wi-Fi and local SIM cards ten years ago.
AI glasses for translation. Joel uses Meta's Ray-Ban glasses, which are handy at markets where vendors are shy of a phone camera. Live translation fell flat in the last generation because of background noise, but the latest update can focus on the person speaking to you. His verdict: not perfect yet, but close.
Article image #poeprnjavjl1p0aap0kk
*Matt Gray of Pangea on trusting travel communities for remote trips.*
Remote places run on community. Matt called himself old school: for the most obscure trips he leans on expert travelers in his network. Next year he's joining an MTP trip to Libya without reading the itinerary, trusting the community that planned it.
Travel Tech Toolkit: 80+ apps recommended by the world's most traveled people
Article image #jo9kqj81bmrj6kb2ikii
*A logo wall of over 80 travel apps crowdsourced by the ETF community.*
Before the session, we polled festival attendees and panelists for their top travel apps, and crowdsourced about 85 different apps and websites, which we published and made available as a [Travel Tech Toolkit](tmsv.co/etf_tt_panel_app_list).
Think of it as the collective home screen of some of the world's most traveled people. The toolkit brings every recommendation together on one page, each with its logo and a link, covering everything from AI trip planners and flight search to award travel, eSIMs, payments, local maps and community apps. It's free to browse and share, so bookmark it before your next trip.
Thanks to Joel, Keith, Matt and Rachel for sharing their tips, to everyone who answered our pre-panel app poll, and to Ric and the Extraordinary Travel Festival team for having us.
Thanks again to our panel and the whole ETF community for being a part of the conversation. It was a really fun conversation and I'm looking forward to doing it again. I hope you enjoy this recap and the travel tech toolkit we put together.
Really enjoyed being part of this panel and hearing everyone's different perspectives on how technology is changing travel. So many interesting takeaways, especially around AI and local apps. That logo wall of 80 travel apps also reminded me how many more I need to check out!! Thanks again for inviting me to join the conversation.
The panel delivered an informative session at the ETF. Thank you for sharing.
a great panel and a great conversation!
One thing I still struggle to find in travel apps is good information about places once I've actually arrived.
Google Maps can get me to a monument, and travel blogs can tell me whether it's worth visiting. But if I want to know what I'm looking at, I usually end up searching through several websites.
I've run into this a lot while researching Lisbon. Even some of the city's most popular landmarks have stories that rarely make it into travel guides.
Hi Travel Massive! 👋
We’re part of the team behind this project at Arirang TV, Korea’s international broadcasting network.
The video above is the first episode of [K-FOOD: Gyeongbuk Edition], a travel content series exploring Gyeongsangbuk-do (Gyeongbuk) through its regional food and local experiences.🧳
EP.1 takes us to Mungyeong, a city in Gyeongbuk, the same province where Gyeongju is located. The episode introduces Mungyeong through its local scenery, cultural experiences, and regional food, offering a glimpse of Korea beyond the destinations international travelers may already be familiar with.
Through this series, we hope to explore how food and local storytelling can help introduce lesser-known regional destinations to international travelers.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on what makes regional travel content engaging for a global audience.
Love your video
Thanks for watching! We're sharing more travel videos as part of this series, so stay tuned for the upcoming episodes! :)
Hi everyone, we’ve been working on travel alerts - notifications about things that can disrupt a trip, such as severe weather, airport closures, strikes, or health outbreaks. Each alert is tied to the specific destination it affects, so a traveller only hears about what matters for where they’re going.
We’ve started using this in our own trip planner Tripomatic. Along the way we’ve wondered whether it could also be useful to other travel businesses and apps. Would this be interesting for you? Would you use it? Any feedback is welcomed, even if negative.
hi, I'm interested to discuss this further :-) Will send you a connect
Hi, great to hear that. I am out of the office today, but I will get in touch later today or tomorrow. You can find more details at this webpage: tripomatic.com/en/b2b/travel-alerts - there is also a contact email.
I’d want to see the source and when the alert was last updated before passing it on to a partner. Do you also let people know when a disruption has ended?
Thanks for your answer. The source is always included in the alert. Each alert has validity for a time period that is active. If the source cancels the alert, we update it as well, but they usually do not do that and the alert expires at the end of the timeframe.
I think this would be super useful, but I do know that the U.S at least, has a government ran alert system called the STEP program. It alerts you during your trip of any travel advisories. Maybe this could be useful for other countries though?
You are right that there is an overlap with the STEP program for the US citizens. We include travel advisories from the various countries, including the U.S. We also add more detailed, city-level information such as strikes or weather alerts (e.g. heavy rain). These usually are not serious enough to be included in these government programs, but they can still disrupt your trip. That's why I think the service can be useful even for US travelers, but I’d welcome any feedback.
Thanks, Barbora, that answers my question. It’s useful to understand how you handle expiry when the source doesn’t issue a cancellation.
Thank you to everyone who joined our [Bangkok Travel Massive's ETF Opening Night](www.travelmassive.com/events/opening-night-in-bangkok-travel-massive-welcomes-etf-pangea-9761068741) as we welcomed the Extraordinary Travel Festival (ETF) to the city. More than 130 of the world's most travelled people came together on the rooftop of the [Paradox Bangkok Sukhumvit](www.paradoxhotels.com/bangkok/meetings-and-events/garden-terrace), connecting the ETF community with our local Bangkok Travel Massive members on the eve of the festival.
Now in its 3rd edition, the [Extraordinary Travel Festival](extraordinarytravelfest.com) brings together four days of keynotes, panels, workshops and networking focused on extraordinary travel and adventure, running 22–25 October 2026.
Guests included Beijing-based [Rachel Weiss](www.travelmassive.com/@rachel-weiss), Digital Marketing Manager at [Lost Plate Food Tours](lostplate.com) and creator of [Rachel Meets China](www.instagram.com/rachelmeetschina/). We also welcomed [Keith Van](www.travelmassive.com/@keith-van), Community Manager at seats.aero, from Vancouver, and YouTuber [Jason Rupp](www.travelmassive.com/@jason-rupp-9803034039) from Pattaya.
Also joining us was [Jaime Alemán](www.instagram.com/jaimealemanpma/), a Panamanian entrepreneur and diplomat, the first person in the world to visit all 193 countries, both Poles and space, and a keynote speaker at ETF. Jaime is now making a documentary film about his adventures.
We were also joined by Travel Massive chapter leaders [Casey Mead](www.travelmassive.com/@kckiwigirl) from Melbourne, [Tiago Relvao](www.travelmassive.com/@tiagorelvao) from Lisbon, along with [Anne Somanas](www.travelmassive.com/@anne-somanas) from Bangkok.
We finished the night with a lucky draw and gave away two [Hanoi Secret Coffee tours](atasteofhanoi.com/hanoi-tours/day-tours/hanoi-secret-coffee-tour/) from A Taste of Hanoi, a ticket to [NomadWeek Cape Town](nomadweek.co) thanks to Pangea, and a number of other prizes.
A big thank you to [Paradox Bangkok](www.paradoxhotels.com/bangkok) and to Daniel, Khwan, Jeab and their amazing team for hosting, and to Erika, Azia (ETF) and Faith and Caroline (Pangea) for all their help. Photos by [Peng](pengmemo.synology.me).
— See you next time in Bangkok!
#Thanks to Pangea for supporting
[Pangea](www.thepangea.app) is a social travel app that helps you see where and when your friends are travelling, coordinate plans, get recommendations and meet other travellers. It also runs [social group trips](www.pangeatrips.com) to off-the-beaten-path destinations. Connect with Pangea's founder [Matt Gray](www.travelmassive.com/@matt-gray) on Travel Massive.
*Based in Bangkok or passing through? Join [Bangkok Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/posts/bangkok-travel-massive-309854891) to hear about our next event. Interested in sponsoring a future event? Get in touch with [Anne Somanas](www.travelmassive.com/@anne-somanas).*
What a great turnout to the event on Thursday! We were so lucky to have so many incredibly talented travelers from around the world join us from the Extraordinary Travel Festival. Thanks to Matt from Pangea and the ETF team for supporting the evening.
A highlight for me was meeting Jaime Alemán who has been to space. We connected over his stories about visiting Tasmania and the East Coast (where I live) which I discovered is one of his favourite places in the world!
An awesome night out with the EFT crew! Great to meet so many passionate fellow travellers! Hope to see you all again soon and thanks to our friend Ric for putting on an excellent conference.
Such a fun way to start ETF!! It was wonderful meeting so many travelers from around the world and connecting with the Bangkok Travel Massive community. Thanks again to Ian and the team for bringing everyone together, and for the lovely shoutout!
Great event and turn out!!!
I'm Mary, a heritage travel storyteller exploring the world one surprising backstory at a time. As a Filipino-American documentary travel filmmaker, I create cinematic stories about culture, identity and place on my YouTube channel "Mary-Goes-Round the World", always centered on the people who live there.
I visited Versailles expecting grandeur and royal history, but what surprised me most was how the palace was designed to project power at every turn. This vlog explores the details that stood out most during my visit and how they changed my understanding of the place.
Learn more about my travels at marygoesroundtheworld.com
Fellow heritage travel storyteller here! I love how you framed Versailles around how the palace was designed to project power — the "why" behind a place is always what stays with me too. Question from someone who writes for older travelers: how did you find the walking and stairs? Versailles is huge, and I'm always looking for tips on seeing it at a gentler pace.
Versailles is definitely huge but the stairs were minimal compared to the vastness of the property. The height of each step is nice and shallow so they weren't bad at all. They run something called the "little train" that can help traverse longer distances but we just like to walk around and enjoy the views. I would recommend getting an early time for the palace. The later you go, the more crowded and it was the standing around that got tiring, not the walking. There aren't a lot of places inside to sit and rest. Enjoy your visit! I love connecting with fellow history and culture travelers because the stories behind a place are what make travel meaningful. That's the angle I try to explore in my videos as well.
I visited Versialles years ago when I lived in Paris. Thanks for the Accessibilty tips. I enjoyed your storytelling. I have studied French Language and Litearture for a decade. I don't recall learning the history that you shared in your video. The stories behind the place are insightful and bring new meaning to travel.
Mary, your point about standing in crowds is useful. I share tour programmes with partners at Rosotravel, and it’s a good reminder to look at where people can pause, as well as how far they’ll walk.
Coming from a tour professional like yourself, your comment means a great deal. Thanks! I wish I could say one can bring a stool to sit on, but I'm not sure of the palace rules and if you're surrounded by wall to wall people, it might be hard to find a spot big enough to sit without being bumped around by people anyway. Newer museums are getting better about seating areas, but places as old as this palace, there's not much that can be done to retrofit for that.
Thanks to everyone who joined our [Travel Massive Singapore Industry Social](www.travelmassive.com/events/singapore-travel-massive-industry-social-2530425630) during ITB Asia at the iconic [Harry’s on the Marina Bay](www.instagram.com/harryssingapore/) waterfront. It was a relaxed evening of networking that brought together travel brands, creators and startups from across the industry for introductions and conversations.
The social event welcomed executives, tour operators, travel creators, and founders from Singaporean and international travel and technology companies including *Arawana Group, Destination Capacity, Furama Resort & Villas Danang, Gullies Tours, Headout, Ilex Luxury Travel, Indulge Me, Journey Stack, LeapAway, Lost Plate, MakeYourAsia, MM Communications, Nomae Golf, Pear Anderson, ATTA, Platform 195, Revinate, SABA Hospitality, Secret Experiences, Seek Sophie, Springtide Strategy, Stripe, TPConnects, Transio, Travel Token Marketplace, Ulavi*, and [many more](www.travelmassive.com/events/singapore-travel-massive-industry-social-2530425630).
A number of creators attending [TravMedia’s IMM Asia](travmedia.com/immasia/) conference also came along, including Beijing-based influencer [Shen Wei](www.travelmassive.com/@shenwei007), one of China’s top travel KOLs on Sina Weibo, who has visited more than 90 countries.
We were also joined by Travel Massive chapter leaders from Lisbon ([Tiago Relvao](www.travelmassive.com/@tiagorelvao)), Melbourne ([Casey Mead](www.travelmassive.com/@kckiwigirl)), and Ho Chi Minh City / Saigon ([Natalya Wissink](www.travelmassive.com/@natalya)). Also making an appearance was [Kei Shibata](www.travelmassive.com/@keishibata), a long-time supporter of Travel Massive and OG Tokyo chapter leader.
A big thank you to everyone who joined us for the evening, and to [Natalya Wissink](www.travelmassive.com/@natalya) for organizing the event.
— See you next time in Singapore!
#Supported by Travel Trends Podcast
Shout-out to Travel Trends Podcast for sponsoring welcome drinks for our early arrivals. Their free, virtual-first [Travel Trends Summit](www.traveltrendspodcast.com/travel-trends-summit-2026?utm_source=travelmassive&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=travelmassive) runs on 28–29 October, with more than 60 speakers from TourRadar, Fora, Brand USA, Amex GBT, Lonely Planet, and Travel Massive.
*Want to be part of events like this? Join the [Singapore Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/posts/singapore-travel-massive-891019239) community to stay updated on upcoming events, and contact [Natalya Wissink](www.travelmassive.com/@natalya) if you’d like to sponsor an event.*
It was a great evening connecting with present and new members. After the event we headed to rooftop bar Level33 which has incredible views of MBS.. well worth the visit!
Thanks Natalya for organising and everyone who attended!
What a great night - awesome to see / meet everyone! Thanks for coming out.
Thanks, Travel Massive!
Such a nice evening, thank you for organising Natalya!
I'm Jozef, a European living in South America. On a three-person road trip to Bolivia, only two of us installed the expense app. We had to manage spending in Paraguayan guaraní, Bolivian bolivianos and US dollars.
On a later trip to Buenos Aires there were four of us, more currencies and again someone who didn't want to install an app. I sent the final balances through WhatsApp and Signal because everyone wanted to see the result.
Afterwards, friends also asked what the Bolivia trip had cost, how much a restaurant meal cost and which places were worth visiting.
That's why I built Trek: to keep track of the trip's costs, work out who owes whom and share a link that friends can open without installing the app.
What Trek does
• Log stops with photos, expenses and notes
• Multiple currencies with automatic exchange rates
• Works out who owes whom
• Friends can join by link, no account needed
• Share the whole trip as a read-only link
• Free for one trip, with more in Trek Plus
Try Trek at 1tnt.link/trek and let me know what you think. I'd love your feedback in the comments!
I’d find the costs alongside each stop useful when planning a similar trip, Jozef. Especially if I wanted to follow only part of the route rather than repeat the whole trip.
Thanks, Agnieszka! That’s exactly why Trek keeps expenses alongside individual stops - so someone planning a similar trip can look at the places they’re interested in, not just the total. It’s great to hear that this would be useful to you!
Hello everyone,
My name is Lewis. I love technology, and I’m usually building or tinkering with something when I notice a problem I cannot quite solve.
When my wife and I planned an Alaska cruise, we wanted our teenagers at home to be prepared for the “just in case.” We had an itinerary, hotel and cruise contacts, people to call, instructions for home, and directions to important documents, but nothing that put everything into a clear order for them.
So I built Vocevia, an installable travel handoff web app for the people staying home.
It organized where we expected to be, when we planned to check in, who they should call first, and what they should do if plans changed. It also let us leave calming voice instructions and keep the serious guidance we hoped they would never need behind separate access steps.
I chose the name Vocevia to express the idea that your voice shows the way. A familiar voice can make instructions feel more personal and reassuring than a document or checklist.
We used Vocevia during the trip. It gave our teenagers one place to look and gave us peace of mind that they knew what to do. That trip became the first real test of the app.
Friends, family, and other travel advisors have encouraged me to make it available more broadly, so here I am.
Vocevia is still in its pilot stage, and I know there is more to refine. I believe it could become a useful final step in the pre-departure process for travelers, travel advisors, and group organizers.
I would really value feedback from this community:
• Is the purpose immediately clear?
• Where would this fit naturally into the pre-departure process?
• What would you add, remove, or make easier?
You can explore the app and its sample guide at vocevia.com.
Hi Lewis,
Thanks for sharing Vocevia with the Travel Massive community.
My feedback is that it's a different USP to communicate. I haven't come across any products like this before, so that makes it harder to explain to people. The product name should ideally convey what it is, imo.
I guess you could call it a vault for emergency contacts and instructions. That's my simplest explanation so far!
I would also refine the website as it looks quite AI generated and seems to have quite a lot of messaging - see if you can narrow the scope a bit and give it more of a classic SaaS vibe so it's much easier to understand the features, pricing, and now to trial it or get started.
Hope this feedback is helpful!
The example with your teenagers made the purpose clear to me. I’d lead with that story when explaining Vocevia, especially the idea of hearing a familiar voice when you’re unsure what to do next.
HERE'S THE NEXT 5 UPCOMING EVENTS:
Discover the full potential of the travel industry of the Americas at ITB Americas!
Join us for the inaugural ITB Americas, the latest addition to the ITB brand family.
The annual three-day B2B event will be hosted in one of the most vibrant cities in Mexico: Guadalajara.
From Canada to Patagonia, as the gateway to the booming travel and tourism industry of the Americas, the trade show brings together global leaders, innovators, and professionals to explore business opportunities, network, and shape the future of travel. The new Travel Trade Show for the Americas connects 35 countries in North, Central, and South America, as well as the Caribbean seamlessly reinforcing its role as a bridge within the travel industry.
ITB Americas is here to connect the global travel industry with and across the Americas.
Exhibitors. Connect with top-level buyers from across the Americas and showcase your products to thousands of qualified travel professionals. Experience a dynamic show designed to expand your network and maximize your business opportunities.
Buyers. Join the exclusive ITB Americas Buyers Program and meet top international suppliers from all over the world. Discover innovative travel products, forge new partnerships, and source the best experiences for your customers.
Visitors. Be part of the leading event shaping the future of the Americas' outbound travel industry. Connect with industry professionals from across the continent and beyond – only at ITB Americas!
Speakers. Share your expertise and help shape the future of travel in the Americas. Apply to speak at the ITB Americas Conference and join industry leaders, innovators, and decision-makers in sharing insights, trends, and real-world perspectives that drive the industry forward.
Learn more at itb-americas.com/about/
Link to event pageJoin Us for a Travel Industry Social with Stripe during Web Summit Week
Kick off Web Summit week with food, drinks and good conversation alongside Stripe and the Lisbon Travel Massive community.
Whether you’re in town for Web Summit or based here in Lisbon, this is a relaxed evening to catch up with familiar faces and meet new ones from across travel, tourism, hospitality and travel tech.
Event Details
🗓️ Tuesday, November 10, 2026, 18:00 — 21:00
📍 Capricciosa Parque das Nações — walking distance from Web Summit venue (Feira Internacional de Lisboa, FIL)
👉 RSVP is required
👋 Be sure to complete your Travel Massive profile so other attendees can learn about you.
We look forward to seeing you!
— The Lisbon Travel Massive team
🌍 About Stripe
Stripe is revolutionizing the travel industry by providing seamless and secure payment infrastructure for money management and movement. Stripe simplifies the payment experience for travelers, enabling travelers to make hassle-free transactions across the globe and ultimately enhancing their overall travel journey and satisfaction. Learn more about the Stripe x Travel Massive World Tour at travelmassive.com/stripe
🌎 About Travel Massive
Travel Massive connects thousands of travel industry professionals, including tourism and travel tech leaders, startups, media and creators, to meet, share ideas and grow together. Founded in 2014, our Lisbon chapter has hosted more than a dozen events across the city and has recently relaunched with a fresh lineup of meetups.
🌎 About Web Summit
Web Summit is one of the world’s largest technology conferences. Each year it turns Lisbon into a global hub for founders, investors, tech leaders and policymakers to explore what’s next. Learn more at websummit.com
This is an independent community event and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Web Summit.
Link to event pageJoin Bucharest Travel Massive and Stripe for an evening of travel industry networking after the Romanian Tourism Fair (TTR).
The stands are closed and the evening is yours. After a busy day at TTR, Bucharest Travel Massive is getting together with Stripe for a relaxed evening of good company and proper conversation with fellow travel people.
The event is co-hosted by Katina Moldovan and Thomas Bangert — the founders of Travecta, the Bucharest travel-tech company. We're also delighted to welcome Aleodor (Ale) Tabarcea, Site Lead & Engineering Manager at Stripe in Bucharest.
The evening is informal and conversation-led. Come straight from the fair, lanyard and all, and stay as long as you like until we close at 22:00.
👋 Why attend?
TTR week is the one time of year when the whole Romanian travel industry is in the same city. You will meet tourism professionals, hoteliers, tour operators, agencies, founders and travel-tech people from Bucharest, from all over the country and beyond.
Whether you are exhibiting, visiting or just in town for TTR week, you are welcome.
This is also the first Bucharest Travel Massive meet-up in a long time. The chapter is starting again and we would love you to be there for the first evening.
This event is free to attend:
📍 Inpresso Lounge Herăstrău, Bulevardul Beijing (next to Parcul Bordei and Aviatorilor Metro Station, a short taxi ride from Romexpo)
🗓️ Friday, 20 November 2026, 19:00 to 22:00
🍺 Bites and drinks (including soft drinks and coffee) provided by Stripe
💬 A relaxed standing evening for conversations, with seating available
👉 Registration is required. Please register on this page so we know how many people to expect, and complete your Travel Massive profile so other attendees can learn about you. Bring a colleague and ask them to register too.
We look forward to seeing you in Bucharest!
— The Bucharest Travel Massive team
About Stripe: Stripe powers financial infrastructure for millions of businesses worldwide, from the world's largest enterprises to the most ambitious startups. Learn more at travelmassive.com/stripe
About the venue: Inpresso Lounge Herăstrău is on Bulevardul Beijing, beside Parcul Bordei and a few minutes' walk from Aviatorilor Metro. Thank you to Damian and the team for having us. Follow them on Instagram at instagram.com/inpresso.lounge/
About Travecta: Travecta is the infrastructure layer connecting local DMCs with global distribution, making offline multi-day tours instantly bookable worldwide. Born in Romania, built for the world. Learn more at travecta.tech
About Travel Massive: The Travel Massive community connects thousands of tourism professionals, travel media, creators and startups from around the world to meet, connect and share ideas. Bucharest Travel Massive is the local chapter for Romania's travel and tourism industry.
Questions? Message Thomas Bangert or Katina Moldovan here on Travel Massive, or write to bucharest@travelmassive.com.
By registering, you agree to your details being shared with Stripe for the purpose of processing your registration. Photography may take place during the evening, including a group photo for the chapter page.
This is an independent community meet-up, separate from the official fair programme.
Pe scurt, în română: După o zi plină la TTR, vino să cunoști oameni din turism, vineri, 20 noiembrie, între 19:00 și 22:00, la Inpresso Lounge Herăstrău. Ni se alătură și Aleodor (Ale) Tabarcea, Site Lead & Engineering Manager la Stripe București. Gustările și băuturile sunt oferite de Stripe. Seara e relaxată și informală, vino așa cum ești. Înscrie-te pe această pagină și adu și un coleg.
Link to event pageJoin us for the Final Pitch Contest and Award Ceremony of the 2026 Social Entrepreneurs in Tourism (SET) Competition!
On November 23, the 10 finalists will pitch their ventures live to an international Jury and audience. The Jury will select the winners in two categories: Launch Track and Growth Track.
Save the date:
📅 November 23, 2026
🕑 14:00 CET
📍 Online – Livestream available
This year's competition set a new record with 238 applications, the highest number in our history. These ten changemakers stood out for how they use tourism to protect ecosystems, create fair jobs, and put real value back into local communities. They have completed a mentorship program with international experts and are now ready to present their ideas.
🟩 Launch Track Finalists
Ampuy – Bolivia 🇧🇴
Chipatso Recycling Center – Malawi 🇲🇼
SOCYT – Egypt 🇪🇬
TahaK: Tahanan sa Kalikasan – Philippines 🇵🇭
Mancub – Czech Republic 🇨🇿
🟦 Growth Track Finalists
Xperience Stockholm – Sweden 🇸🇪
Red Rocks Initiative for Sustainable Development – Rwanda 🇷🇼
Joint Indigenous Tourism Hub – Uganda 🇺🇬
3 Sisters Adventure Trekking – Nepal 🇳🇵
Nagenahiru Environmental Learning Center – Sri Lanka 🇱🇰
Meet all finalists and shortlisted projects: socialtourismcompetition.com/finalists-2026
🏆 Winners will receive financial support, international visibility, and tailored support from our network of partners.
🔔 Register on Travel Massive to watch live.
🎥 The event will be livestreamed and recorded.
💡 Learn more about the Competition at www.socialtourismcompetition.com
Link to event pageWhat happens when building technology becomes easier, faster and more accessible than ever before? And what could that mean for travel and tourism?
Tools that once required significant budgets, specialist developers and months of work are becoming much more accessible with the help of AI. For travel and tourism businesses, this creates exciting opportunities to solve everyday challenges, improve visitor experiences and turn ideas into working solutions that might previously have been out of reach.
But what does this look like in practice? What are people actually building, and how is AI changing the way we work across the travel and tourism sector?
For our November TravelTech Meetup, we're inviting anyone using AI to come along and show us what they've built.
Have you created an AI tool to help a hotel manage guest enquiries? Built something to personalise travel recommendations, help visitors discover local experiences or simplify tour planning? Developed a solution to automate bookings, improve destination marketing or make your business operations more efficient?
Whether you're building a new product, experimenting with an idea or finding creative ways to solve everyday problems, we'd love to see what you're working on.
We're looking for short, 5 to 10 minute talks or demonstrations showcasing what you've built, how you've used AI and what you've learned along the way.
You don't need to be a tech company or an AI expert. We're interested in practical examples, creative experiments and ideas that demonstrate what's possible when the barriers to building technology start to come down.
Come and share what you've built, discover what others are doing, and explore what happens when more people have the tools to turn their ideas into reality.
Interested in presenting? Get in touch with us first at engagement.efi@ed.ac.uk to tell us what you'd like to share.
Date: Tuesday 24 November 2026
Time: 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Location: Edinburgh Futures Institute
We look forward to seeing what the TravelTech community is building.
Link to event pageThink you know Marrakech? Think again!
After the success of our last event, we're taking connections to a whole new level.
Forget awkward introductions and standing around swapping business cards. This time we’re heading into the winding streets of the Marrakech Medina for an evening of adventure, laughter, friendly competition and real connection.
Welcome to Marrakech Maze: The Insider Edition
The Challenge
You might live in Marrakech, work in tourism, or know the souks like the back of your hand, but how well do you really know the Red City?
On arrival, you’ll be split into teams with fellow travel professionals, entrepreneurs and creatives, including plenty of people you’ve probably never met. Armed with your Marrakech Maze mission pack, you’ll have 60 minutes to race the clock through the Medina, cracking clues, solving puzzles and completing unexpected, sometimes hilarious and occasionally downright tricky challenges.
This is the Insider Edition, so don’t expect the usual tourist questions. We’re turning up the difficulty for those who think they already know Marrakech.
🏆 What’s at Stake?
Bragging rights, of course, plus prizes for the winning team and possibly a few surprises for those who impress us along the way.
Networking, But Not As You Know It
The best connections don’t always happen across a conference table. Sometimes they happen while racing through a souk with strangers, trying to crack a clue, and discovering that the person you just met has exactly the skills your team needs. That’s what this evening is all about: bringing together Marrakech’s travel community through shared experiences rather than forced introductions.
Details:
Meeting point: In front of Café de France, Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakech
Date & Time: Saturday 28 November 2026, 6:00pm – 8:30pm
Admission: Free with RSVP
👉 RSVP required - register here on the event page
Schedule
-6:00 PM: Meet at Café de France and get split into teams
Mission packs handed out
-60 minutes: The Marrakech Maze challenge
-Back together for results and prizegiving
-Coffee, cake and conversation until 8:00 PM
One Medina. One hour. A hundred possibilities. Do you really know Marrakech as well as you think you do?
We look forward to seeing you there.
The Travel Massive × Art House Marrakech Team
Contact us on WhatsApp:
Christine +1 631 335 9860
Seleena +212 665 808901
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