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I've spent years working in Southeast Asian transport operations. I watched thousands of travelers struggle with the same things every day: wrong station names, outdated schedules copy-pasted across a dozen booking sites, fares marked up well above the actual price, and zero support in their language.
So in 2025 I built YesMyTrips from scratch. Solo. Bootstrapped. From Vietnam.
One platform that covers trains, buses and ferries across Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, with schedules you can actually trust, transparent pricing from the start, and a booking flow available in 6 languages: English, French, Russian, Thai, Japanese and Korean.
A few things that make it different:
• The Bangkok–Chiang Mai overnight train is one of the most searched routes in Southeast Asia. Most booking sites still list Hua Lamphong as the departure station. It moved to Krung Thep Aphiwat in January 2023. I obsess over accuracy like that.
• Real-time availability and seat maps let travelers pick exactly where they sit before booking. And if anything goes wrong, there's a real human on WhatsApp, not a contact form.
• I also built a free embeddable train schedule widget that travel bloggers can add to their site in minutes: no iframe, no API key, no cost. It covers 790+ routes and automatically adapts to the language of the host site. A few dozen travel blogs across Europe and Asia are already running it.
I'm based in Ho Chi Minh City, member of EuroCham Vietnam and CCIF. Always happy to connect with travel bloggers, publishers and anyone building in the Southeast Asia transport space.
👉 Try it out at yesmytrips.com and please share your feedback!
60% of travelers are using AI search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini before they ever book — and most travel websites aren't showing up!
At Maya, we built a free AI Search Analysis for travel companies: share your website and get a report showing exactly how visible you are when travelers ask AI for recommendations, and what to do about it.
A one pager to get clarity on where you stand — and a roadmap to get found.
👉 Try it free at mayatravel.ai/free-ai-search-analysis-for-travel-companies
Happy to chat about results too and AI for travel 🎢🌍.
Really impressed by how detailed the report is, I wasn't expecting that depth from a free tool. Will go through it properly this week and see what's actionable on my side.
For reference, my scores came out at 75 / 70 / 80 / 75. Curious what range you typically see across the travel sites you've analysed, is that around average, or are there obvious gaps I should prioritise first?
Thanks for putting this together, Eimy.
Thanks for sharing! Really helpful tool for travel agencies, OTAs, DMCs etc. Already tested it out 👍🏼
Thanks to everyone who joined us in Melbourne for our [Travel Industry Social with Stripe](www.travelmassive.com/events/melbourne-travel-massive-industry-social-with-stripe-6247391482) at [Easey's rooftop bar](www.easeys.com.au) in Collingwood for an evening of travel industry networking and connections.
We had a great turnout with many new members joining us — including new and established travel media and journalists, tour operators, and travel tech founders. A highlight of the evening was visiting Easey's [rooftop train carriages](www.atlasobscura.com/places/easeys-rooftop-train-car-restaurant). Following decades of service carrying commuters on Melbourne's rail network, the carriages now seat restaurant patrons five stories above ground!
Thanks to [James Lemon](www.travelmassive.com/@james-lemon), Global Lead for Hospitality, Travel & High growth industries at [Stripe](stripe.com/au/industries/travel) for joining us and sharing his insights from last week's Stripe Sessions in San Francisco.
*Want to be part of events like this? Join the [Melbourne Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/posts/melbourne-travel-massive-258662400) community to stay updated on upcoming events — and reach out if you’d like to get involved or support a future event.*
Thanks to all our members for coming along (both old and new) and I hope everyone made some new connections in our wonderful travel community here in Melbourne.
A big thanks to Casey (@kckiwigirl) for helping us host the event at Easey's and for connecting our community with new media and journalists in town. And well done to @james-lemon for making it to Melbourne all the way from San Francisco the LONG WAY (via London and Singapore). That may be a record for longest way to get to a meetup.
I loved the graffiti artwork throughout the venue, it reminded me of our old co-working space in Berlin next door to Watergate in Kreuzberg!
PS: There's a Berlin easter egg in the photos... if you can spot it post a comment! 😉
An honour and privilege!! A cool space for an even cooler group of people!
Fab photos! Thank you, everyone, for coming out to play! We're blessed to work in such a wonderful industry.
Great event for connecting with Melbourne-based travel industry shakers and movers.
Lovvveeed meeting you IRL!!
A traveler recently left us a review that stuck with me. He said the thing he liked most was that he could ask all his questions,- "however silly they may be."
That one line says more about what travelers actually need than any NPS score or star rating ever could.
Because think about it, when was the last time you asked a "silly" question on a 15-person walking tour? You don't. You stay quiet. You google it later. You move on.
That silence isn't a comfort problem. It's a trust problem.
After 10+ years of doing this across 300+ cities, I've realized the real product isn't the itinerary or the destination knowledge. It's creating a space where a grown adult feels safe enough to say "this might be a dumb question, but..."
That's when the real conversation starts. That's when someone asks how much you actually pay for rent here, or whether it's really safe to walk this street at night, or what locals actually think about tourists.
The stuff nobody asks in a group. The stuff that turns a tour into a conversation and a conversation into a memory.
What are you doing in your experiences to build that kind of trust, the kind where people stop filtering themselves?
Hey Vinita,
This really resonates.
I’ve seen the same thing. People don’t hold back because the question is silly, they hold back because they don’t feel comfortable enough.
For me, it starts with keeping things small and informal. No fixed script, no orchestrated conversations, no pressure to “perform.” Just a normal and easy interaction.
When travellers feel like they’re with a real person and not on a tour, they open up.
I also share honestly first. About life, culture, even the uncomfortable bits.
That usually breaks the barrier.
Once they see there’s no judgement, the “silly” questions naturally come out.
Hey Sayali, love this! That's such a powerful trust signal. We've seen the same thing with our locals, the ones who lead with their own honesty tend to get the most open, curious travelers in return. It almost gives people permission to stop being polite and start being real.
Absolutely, that “permission to be real” changes everything.
The moment it shifts from being polite to being honest, the whole experience deepens. People stop observing and actually start engaging.
I’ve also noticed travellers are genuinely curious about personal life.
How we live, think, and go about everyday things. I often indulge that curiosity and share openly, and that usually opens the door for even more honest conversations.
And like you said, when the local shows up as themselves, without a script, it creates that space for travellers to do the same.
Thanks to everyone who joined our [Bangkok Travel Massive Social Evening with Airwallex](www.travelmassive.com/events/bangkok-travel-massive-airwallex-industry-social-1143452093) at [Bar.Yard](instagram.com/bar.yard/) to network and mingle with leading travel brands, creators, and innovators. The event also welcomed attendees from Skift Summit, TDM Summit, MICE Day and TMX Expo taking place in Bangkok on the day.
We were thrilled to welcome one hundred attendees from across the travel industry — with guests making new connections and sharing reflections from the day's events while taking in incredible views of Bangkok's skyline from the 40th floor of Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok's [Bar.Yar rooftop bar](instagram.com/bar.yard/).
The evening brought together a diverse mix of travel industry leaders and innovators from the [Bangkok Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/posts/bangkok-travel-massive-309854891) community and international guests, supported by global payments and financial platform [Airwallex](www.airwallex.com/sg/solutions/travel). The evening also provided an opportunity for attendees to meet the team from Airwallex including [Andrew Chim](/@andrew-chim), Head of South East Asia (SEA) and [Ziyan Chong](/@ziyan-chong), Head of GTM & Sales, SEA New Markets.
Representatives from more than 80 companies were in attendance from many global travel brands, including: *Amadeus Hospitality, Six Senses, UNWTO Affiliates, Abercrombie & Kent, MakeMyTrip, S Hotels & Resorts, Centara Hotels & Resorts, CBRE, Plaza Premium Group, Aman Nai Lert Bangkok, EXO Travel, Como Hotels, Kimpton Kitalay Samui, Local Alike, TTG Asia Media*, and [many more](/bangkok-travel-massive-airwallex-industry-social-1143452093).
A massive thank you to everyone who attended and supported the event to make it a great success, and see you at our next travel industry gathering in Bangkok!
— The Bangkok Travel Massive team
👋 Stay connected with travel professionals in Bangkok. Join [Bangkok Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/posts/bangkok-travel-massive-309854891) to be notified of upcoming events and connect with other members in the community.
What an incredible turnout! The entire evening was incredibly well organized in a beautiful venue, perfectly timed on a very happening day in travel.
Thanks to everyone who showed up to connect, collaborate, and share ideas. It was a very memorable evening with great conversations and new connections made in the beautiful atmosphere at Bar.Yard flanked by views of Bangkok's skyline and complemented by the fine house wines and local draft beer at the venue.
The venue was amazing, providing the perfect backdrop, and the vibe was amazing as far as networking events go. One of the highlights of the night was the sheer caliber of the attendees!
It was fun to meet everyone
Absolutely Phenomenal Event! Thank you all for arranging a beautiful night! youtube.com/post/Ugkx4aqOTiVlmsuvlM-QwVoVe2wZlup1PU4B?si=WVCevB59SnWaXYA9
Thanks to everyone who joined our [Travel Industry Social at Stripe Sessions 2026](www.travelmassive.com/events/travel-industry-social-at-stripe-sessions-2026-with-stripe-hedna-travel-massive-sf-3075002150) at W Hotel's Living Room Bar in San Francisco last week for a fantastic evening of industry networking.
The event brought together travel tech and hospitality innovators from [San Francisco Bay Area Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/posts/san-francisco-bay-area-travel-massive-826956232) and [HEDNA](www.hedna.org) during the week of [Stripe Sessions](stripesessions.com) — Stripe's annual user conference on the future of the internet economy, payments, and AI infrastructure.
In attendance was [James Lemon](/@james-lemon), Stripe's Global Lead for Hospitality, Travel & High growth industries and [Andrew Beckman](/@andrew-beckmann), Head of Travel Industry GTM & Partnerships for North America.
A big thanks to our friends at [HEDNA](www.hedna.org) (Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association) for partnering with Travel Massive, and to the team at [Stripe](stripe.com/au/industries/travel) for supporting our community.
*Want to be part of conversations like this? Join the [San Francisco Bay Area Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/posts/san-francisco-bay-area-travel-massive-826956232) community and our [Facebook group](www.facebook.com/groups/sanfranciscotravelmassive) to stay updated on upcoming events — and reach out if you'd like to get involved or support a future event. We'd love to hear from you.*
It was such a pleasure to kick off Stripe Sessions in San Francisco with a mixer at the W Hotel! A huge thank you to all who joined us in the Living Room Bar to network and talk travel tech. Thank you to our sponsors and partners, Stripe and HEDNA, who helped make the evening possible.
You could sponsor or speak at our next event! Speakers, sponsors and hosts, topic ideas — we’re open to all of them! To get involved, please respond to this post or visit the San Francisco Bay Area Travel Massive for more details.
www.travelmassive.com/posts/san-francisco-bay-area-travel-massive-826956232
Great event - so nice to get so many good travel communities and folks in one place!
Hi Travel Massive! I’m Noah, the founder of NAiO.
In almost every other tech sector, we’ve seen a transition from fragmented tools to integrated ecosystems, but not in travel. The nomad economy is next.
We’re building the 'operating system' for this lifestyle because professionals need reliable systems, not just a collection of bookmarks. Currently testing our Beta while on the road in Vietnam! For those of you working at a high level while traveling, how much does administrative friction actually impact your focus? Is a unified platform the inevitable solution?
The Story of NAIO
I’ve been living the nomad life for almost 3 years now, the idea for NAiO came from my own frustration with managing a dozen different platforms and apps just to stay compliant and connected. On any given moving day, I found myself jumping between different tabs: one for a visa checker, another to get information about the place I'm going to, one for housing, one to find a community, etc...
This constant context-switching is what I call a fragmented and frustrating market. It’s not just an annoyance, it’s a killer for the joy of this lifestyle. We are currently spending a lot of our time just managing the logistics of our remote lives instead of actually living them.
We didn’t want to build just another app. We wanted to build a unifying layer - an operating system for the digital nomad economy. Our goal is to consolidate the essential pillars of remote life, into one single, cohesive experience.
How it Works
Instead of providing 100% of these services ourselves, we focus on smart integration. By connecting with top-tier partners for logistics and compliance, NAiO acts as an intelligent concierge.
We are in Beta testing at the moment. Whats ready to be explored:
✅ Smart Tools: Use the Visa- & Expenses Tracker, show your visited countries and deep-dive into destination info for countries and cities.
✅ Services: Book your insurance, tax services, company setups, activities and E-sims
✅ Community: Set up your profile, connect via chat, check the calendar, and join Nomad events with our special discounts.
..much more is coming soon.
Note: We are currently finalizing negotiations with partners for the "Big Two" (Transport and Accommodation) to bring them into the app.
The checkout of the services is not fully integrated yet but we are working on that as well. In the future every service will be fully manageable within the app.
You can explore and register to our Beta here: app.naio.one
We believe that by lowering the administrative barrier to entry, we can make the nomad lifestyle sustainable for more people. We're currently looking for feedback from the community to ensure we’re solving the right frictions first.
Can't wait to get feedback and hear what you think.
Thanks to everybody in advance.
Hi Noah, thanks for joining Travel Massive and sharing your project with our community.
I signed up to NAiO and had a look around. A few questions / comments:
1. Is this built with AI?
2. The big question (that I ask almost everyone I meet building in this space) is how are you going to get users for your app and retain them?
3. Is a website directory of services for nomads no different to them being linked inside of an app? E.g. how does putting it inside an app make it better?
4. Asking to set a password on signup is a bit annoying, I would prefer a pin login or Google auth etc.
That's all I can think of for now. Well done on what you've done so far!
Hi Ian, thanks a lot for taking the time to sign up and for your honest feedback, that’s exactly why I wanted to share NAiO here!
1. Is it built with AI?
I don’t have a background in coding, so I used "Vibecoding" to build the initial visual prototype and demonstrate the vision. Once the concept was clear, I brought a professional developer onto the team. While we used AI for the initial UI/UX and data structuring, everything is now being professionally programmed by our developer to ensure a scalable and robust architecture.
2. Acquisition & Retention
Acquisition: We are currently executing a massive outreach to travel influencers (from micro to large scale). We offer different partnership models, ranging from our affiliate program to "Brand Advisor" roles for those who want skin in the game. We also leverage symbiotic partnerships: Our partners benefit directly as we scale - the more users we onboard, the more customers they receive. It’s a growth flywheel where everyone in the ecosystem wins. Additionally, we are using our own social media channels to drive organic growth through interactive campaigns and community-driven actions.
Retention: It’s about being the Central Hub. By offering an all-in-one ecosystem for things nomads book anyway (transport, activities, e-sims,...), we become the default starting point of their day. We also integrate high-value features like expense- and visa trackers - tools that are usually separate paid apps - directly into our platform for free. We also prioritize deep community engagement and a rapid-response support system to ensure that NAiO becomes a trusted partner for our users.
3. Why an App and not a Directory?
A directory is just a list, we are building a fully integrated booking engine. Our vision is an AI-driven concierge that doesn’t just plan a trip but actually interacts with our partners to propose a complete, personalized itinerary including transport, housing, activities, etc. The user can then adjust and book everything with a single click. We are moving from "searching for info" to "one-click execution" and centralized management of the entire journey. Beyond the integration, a native app provides essential offline access to documents, proactive push notifications for visa or tax deadlines, and a secure vault for encrypted sensitive data - all while serving as a constant psychological 'servicebase' on the user's home screen.
4. The Password Friction
You are 100% right on that. Since we are in the Beta phase and currently operating as a web app, we relied on the Google Password Manager as a temporary workaround. However, as we move toward the official App Store launch, seamless onboarding is a priority on our roadmap.
Thanks again for the "well done" - it motivates us to keep pushing.
I’m happy to answer any further questions you or the community might have. Let’s keep the conversation going!
I tried to search for it in the App Store. Do you have the link for the iOS app?
Hey Andrin,
I’m sorry to tell you that we are not in the AppStore’s yet. Since we are in Beta testing, we just have a WebApp at the moment.
You can have a look here: app.naio.one
Looking forward to your feedback.
As like most things in this life, travel trends are no exception to the ebbs and flows of humanity. What we once understood 'luxurious travel' to mean - five-star hotels, exclusive resorts, and meticulously curated itineraries - is beginning to shift once again, evolving into something new, but oddly familiar.
This shift is emphasizing the hidden 'luxuries' of travel - encouraging us to spend less and experience more, with less hesitation.
As a growing number of travelers shift their focus from VIP exclusives and all-inclusives, and begin to wonder "what else is out there?" they begin to dig deeper within themselves and the world around them in search of more meaningful experiences.
This deep and profound meaning that we all search for is closer than we realize. It can be found in simple conversation, in shared meals, in the unexpected moments that aren't in the itinerary but stay with you long after the trip ends, and much more.
It might look like learning the history of a local bodega in New York City while sharing a hand-crafted bagel, or an open invitation to a local cultural gathering; in these moments, barriers begin to fade and connection takes over. These are the moments that feel rare -not because they are exclusive, but because they are authentic and unfiltered.
In a world that is more digitally connected than ever, there is a growing desire for connection that actually feels human, and travel has become one of the most powerful ways to access that - not by seeing more, but by experiencing more - more integration, more depth, more meaning, more understanding.
This shift is redefining what it means to travel well, luxuriously even.
Luxury, in this new sense, is time spent fully present, the ability to engage with a place beyond the surface. It's leaving not just with photos, but with memories, shifted perspectives, and a sense of connection that wasn't present before.
And perhaps most importantly, this form of luxury is accessible to EVERYONE.
Meaningful connection doesn’t require a money - it requires openness, curiosity, and a willingness to step slightly outside of the usual and into something more personal. In many ways, the most meaningful travel experiences are the simplest ones. They’re just often overlooked.
As travel continues to shift and evolve, so too does our understanding of what makes it truly worthwhile. The destinations remain, but the intentions shift; because in the end, the most memorable journeys aren’t defined by where you stayed - but rather by who you met, how you connected, and how it changed the way you see the world.
Connection, if you ask me, is the most valuable form of luxury we have.
Well said, couldn't agree more! If you have specific eco-resorts that you feel embody what you're saying about human connection and meaningful experiences, we're working on a Simon & Schuster book on the topic and would love your (and the Travel Massive community's) recommendaions!
Hi Anne, thank you so much for reading my post and for responding. I'll be honest - I don't know any eco-resorts. I am a new professional among the travel industry, and my role is in grant writing & development, so this is not something I'm familiar with just yet. However, with the app I work for (Scapade) getting ready to launch this year, I am certain that my knowledge of destinations and resorts will change rapidly through engagement, etc. So, all of that to say; I will gladly keep you on my mind and touch base when I have something to share.
@Anne: Last year I met a GM (would have to dig up the info) who represented a resort near Dumaguete, Philippines. I asked about his sustainability projects and one was called the "Piggy Bank" project where they would provide local families with baby pigs to raise and feed their families later down the line. At the end of the day, sustainability in tourism is not just about jet fuel offsetting by planting trees, but it's about how your presence and money contribute (or don't contribute) to the local communities.
It’s starting to look that way. Travel is faster, smoother, and more curated than ever, genuine connection has become surprisingly rare. Connection is definitley a luxury.
We’ve optimized seamless bookings, packed itineraries, must-see lists that we often leave little room for the unscripted moments where connection actually happens. A real conversation with a stranger, a shared meal that turns into an evening, a place that reveals itself slowly instead of instantly. those experiences don’t fit neatly into a schedule, but they’re the ones that stay with you.
Connection asks for time, presence, and a willingness to be a little uncomfortable or unplanned. And in modern travel, those are the very things we tend to trade away for convenience.
So yes, connection might just be the missing luxury not because it’s expensive, but because it’s becoming rare. And the irony is, it’s also the one thing that makes travel feel truly rich. Back in the day you went to agency got brochures, researched through the pages and is was all discovery. Now you can basically walk a route before you step into the airplane.
Maria, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree with you where you said, "now you can basically walk a route before you step into the airplane." I often find myself getting caught up in 'beating myself to the punch' - travel included. I'll be lost on Google Maps looking at businesses and reviews in the area I'll be traveling to, and I'll forget that 'the adventure awaits in the unexpected' and have to remind myself once I catch myself in the midst of that thought cycle. It's certainly a process and a re-learning of how I want to show up each day and greet the world around me.
Over the past months I’ve been increasingly curious whether AI can still distinguish between scaled travel content and writing based on genuine first-hand experience.
So I ran a small experiment.
I tested this across multiple prompts and evaluation criteria to see whether consistent patterns would emerge.
I asked AI a simple question: "which travel blogs still show strong signals of first-hand experience in 2026?"
Instead of focusing on popularity or traffic, I asked it to evaluate signals such as:
• depth of observation
• specificity of details
• structure and practical usability
• consistency across articles
• what I call data density (information that is difficult to generate synthetically at scale)
The results were surprisingly consistent. Several well-known blogs appeared exactly where expected - but a few unexpected ones showed up as well.
What interested me most was not the ranking itself, but the reasoning behind it.
Across multiple prompts, AI repeatedly highlighted the same indicators of authenticity: first-hand specificity, narrative continuity, logistical detail, and decision-level guidance rather than generic inspiration content.
In other words, signals that are increasingly relevant in an era of large-scale AI-assisted publishing, especially as many travel blogs are currently experimenting with AI-assisted workflows.
I described the full methodology and results on my website: en.gancarczyk.com/The-best-English-language-travel-blogs-according-to-AI-rankingjustification-for-the-choice-and-my-commentary/
I’d be very curious whether others here observe similar patterns when comparing experience-driven blogs with template-style travel content.
Hi Jacek, welcome to the Travel Massive community and thanks for sharing your research and insights here. Also, impressive travel blog!
I followed your research and have a few thoughts about the methodology:
1. Copy/paste of your prompt into Google search AI (following your video) returned an instant, verbatim result of what you published. This makes it hard to replicate your findings (replicate != cache).
2. I tried the same prompt with Claude and it returned a similar set of websites. The rankings were different though. Therefore, running the same test with multiple AIs and get different results. How would you tell what AI is more accurate?
3. I then asked Claude "explain how you were able to assess the visual authenticity score, were you looking at the photos on the websites?" and it admitted "I did not browse any of the websites or examine any photographs. The scores I assigned are modeled estimates based on my training data, not live assessments".
Therefore I feel that your findings are somewhat flawed / limited because the assessment of visual authenticity was not actually assessed by your AI (I doubt that Google AI actually looked). This caveat would be worth pointing out on your blog article to readers.
imo, the only way to really assess visual authenticity would be an AI agent that controls a headless browser and has image recognition and is trained to a level that can make such an assessment. That requires a lot of energy - more than a search engine or chatgpt can afford to serve you in a casual LLM chat.
I'd also check whether the LLM actually read/accessed any of the blogs in the study or just made it up!
A v2 of your methodology would be to instruct a desktop agent to visit the websites and perform the assessment.
Thanks again for sharing and that's food for thought!
Hi Ian,
Thank you very much for your thoughtful comments and for taking the time to replicate the experiment yourself.
Your observations are very accurate and they actually match my later experiences when I continued testing how different AI systems behave in similar scenarios. I ran additional experiments using the paid Gemini model in several modes (Fast, Thinking, and Deep Search), and the results confirmed many of the limitations you pointed out.
However, in the article I deliberately focused on the simplest possible model: the free AI integrated directly into Google Search.
This choice was intentional. Most internet users (roughly 95%) rely on answers generated directly inside the search engine interface and never use advanced paid language models for deeper analysis. Because of that, my goal was not to obtain the most objective or technically rigorous ranking possible, but rather to observe what kind of answer a typical user actually receives today.
In other words, I wanted to understand how the “default AI layer” of the web currently interprets signals of first-hand travel experience — including all its weaknesses and constraints.
I also hoped that publishing the methodology would encourage others to repeat the experiment across different models, browsers, prompts, and geographic locations, because these factors clearly influence the results. Your comparison using Claude is exactly the kind of independent verification I was hoping to see, so thank you for doing that.
From my additional testing it appears that even advanced paid models often do not directly analyse the full content of the evaluated websites in real time. Instead, they rely heavily on training data, previously indexed material, and already existing signals available across the web. In many cases they synthesise patterns rather than performing a full live evaluation of each source.
Interestingly, even when explicitly instructed to read and analyse a complete website, models frequently respond based on partial representations rather than a comprehensive review of the actual page content. This suggests that what we are observing is not a traditional audit process, but a probabilistic reconstruction based on prior knowledge signals.
For this reason I fully agree with your comment regarding visual authenticity scoring. Without an agent capable of actively browsing websites and analysing images directly, such evaluation cannot be treated as literal verification.
At the same time, I think this limitation is part of what makes the experiment interesting. The goal was not to measure objective authenticity itself, but to observe how current public AI systems interpret authenticity signals when asked this type of question.
And since these systems increasingly function as a first layer of discovery for readers, understanding their behaviour may already be relevant for travel publishers today.
Finally, regarding the computational aspect — I suspect another practical constraint is efficiency. A truly deep, page-by-page analytical assessment across multiple travel blogs would require significantly more processing time and resources than what real-time conversational AI systems are currently designed to provide at scale. Most users expect answers instantly, not after twenty minutes of structured crawling and evaluation, so models optimise for speed and plausibility rather than exhaustive verification.
Thanks again for your valuable feedback. It definitely helps refine the direction for a possible second version of the methodology.
I suspect that Google is experimenting with how much AI compute they give users in this new feature. The cost to answer complicated queries with LLM can't possibly be profitable in comparison to their traditional search engine.
When the venture capital runs out we are all going to pay for AI. I'm not sure how search will look when that happens!
This video explains a bit about what's happening with AI models right now and to your point why Google doesn't need to charge
Absolutely great 👍
I was on a guided tour of the Golden Triangle of India....my first time in India. What a wonderful stroke of luck...a friend of our tour organizer was getting married, and though our names (all 8 of us) were not on the guest list, our guide, Harshit, assured us we would be welcome. Advice, if you should ever have the opportunity: bring ear plugs! It's LOUD!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ejbKv5LglM
I am a photographer and filmmaker, based in Hollywood, FLORIDA (the OTHER Hollywood). I've been to 93 countries, most of them multiple times. I feel, the best reason to travel is to better know the place from which you have come.
Hi Len,
Great video! Indian weddings are quite the phenomenon- I say this as someone who’s had one and attended countless others. Each time is a sensory whirlwind and way too many core memories created in a short span of time.
Glad you were able to ‘crash’ one - such fun!
Ive had clients who’ve wished to attend wedding ceremonies and we’ve arranged similar situations for them, and each time the welcome has been warm. Indians really do treat their guests very well.
Amazing cultural experience Len!! Nice to see how it all works from here in Switzerland- thanks for the text explanations. Will that be only your first Indian wedding? Crash another or perhaps your own??? Glad to see they have firework safety in mind when walking down the aisle too…
HERE'S THE NEXT 5 UPCOMING EVENTS:
Join the Sydney Travel Massive community for an evening of industry networking and rooftop views from Little National Hotel in the heart of Sydney's CBD.
This May, Travel Massive and Stripe are coming together for an evening of travel industry connections, insights and drinks at Little National Hotel in Sydney.
Whether you're a first-timer or a long-standing regular, this is your chance to reconnect with the Sydney travel industry community and meet fellow professionals from across travel technology, hospitality, and tourism.
We're also delighted to welcome James Lemon, Stripe's Global Lead for Hospitality, Travel & High growth industries, who'll be joining us on the night. Stripe powers financial infrastructure for millions of businesses worldwide — from the world's largest enterprises to the most ambitious startups. Learn more at tmsv.co/stripe
Attendees from 40+ companies including: 24 Hours In Sydney, A Lovely Planet, Altitude AI, Amicii, Australian Coffee Culture, AVisual Productions, Byrdli, Caption by Hyatt, CM Communications, CTM, Cypress Lakes Resort, Delectro, Dream Media, Envoyage, Goki, IQaaS Advisory, Jetstar Airways, Journeyism, LifestyleSydney, PlanPay, Plastic Free Southeast Asia, PopUp WiFi, QXP India, Rakuten Advertising, Rezdy, Ride The World Motorcycle Tours, Ripple Effect Group, Ruby TV, SiteMinder, SocialGen, Sri Lankan Airlines, Sydney Guided Tours, Time Travel Turtle, Travala, Travengers, TravMedia, Virgin Australia, and more.
📍 Little National Hotel Sydney (Rooftop Bar), 26 Clarence St
🗓️ Thursday 7th May 2026
🕕 6:00pm – 8:30pm
🥂 Bites and drinks provided by Stripe
👉 RSVP is essential — secure your spot today
— We look forward to seeing you!
🌆 About the venue: Little National Hotel is one of Sydney's most celebrated boutique stays, tucked into the heart of the CBD on Clarence Street. Known for its exceptional design, warm hospitality, and a rooftop bar that feels a world away from the city below, it's the perfect setting for an evening of industry conversation. Learn more at littlenationalhotel.com.au/sydney/
🌏 About Travel Massive: Travel Massive is a global community for travel industry professionals, with chapters and events in cities across the world — from Sydney and Melbourne to Berlin, Bangkok, and beyond. Whether you work in travel tech, hospitality, tourism, or leisure, Travel Massive is where the industry comes together to connect, share ideas, and build lasting relationships.
✅ Registration is required in advance. By registering, you agree to your details being shared with Stripe for the purpose of processing your registration and facilitating event access. Photography may take place on the evening.
👋 Questions? Contact ian@travelmassive.com
💡 Pro tip: Complete your Travel Massive profile with a photo, company, and role so attendees can find and connect with you before the event.
Link to event pageHello Toronto Travel Massive community,
Please join us on May 14, 2026 for an exciting GigSky event. GigSky is a leading eSIM provider that solves one of travelers' biggest annoyances: staying connected while abroad without paying a fortune. GigSky would love to share some trends in data roaming, what customers use their phones for while away, and the next phase of their global partnership with Visa.
This event is for: Travel media and creators (journalists, reporters, bloggers, creators, influencers, YouTubers, podcasters) and travel advisors.
About GigSky
GigSky is the original eSIM travel data company and was a launch partner when Apple first unveiled this technology in 2018. As a mobile operator, GigSky provides travelers with unparalleled access across the globe (in over 200 countries and regions), at sea (on over 350 cruise ships and ferries), and in-flight (on over 22 airlines). Their global partnership with Visa also provides over 4 billion Visa cardholders worldwide with complimentary and discounted data as a card benefit. Learn more on www.gigsky.com.
⏰ Schedule of activities:
6:00 PM: Arrival and networking
7:30 PM: Presentation
8:15 PM: Giveaway winners announced
8:30 PM: Event ends
🎁 GigSky giveaway:
Win a $100 GigSky eSIM credit for your next international trip ✈️
Tell us where you’re taking your GigSky eSIM by sharing an Instagram story OR an IG feed post any time before 8 PM on May 14, 2026. Make sure to tag and follow @travelmassiveTO and @gigsky.esim + use hashtags #TravelMassiveToronto
T&C: The winner must be physically present at the event on May 14, 2026 to receive the reward.
💬 Join the conversation:
Travel Massive:
Instagram: @travelmassiveTO #TravelMassiveToronto for Travel Massive
GigSky:
Instagram: @gigsky.esim | Facebook: @GigSky
Youtube: www.youtube.com/@GigSky
🎟️ Event registration: there is a maximum capacity, so make sure to register. If there is a waitlist still sign-up in case someone is no longer able to come we will add people from the waitlist. In the meantime, please have a look at your Travel Massive profile and take a moment to make sure it is up to date.
👉 Please note:
* All guests must be registered to attend.
* Attendees must have completed profile to register, including a photo, bio, and links.
* No +1s please.
* Must be an active member of the travel industry to attend with an approved and updated profile on TravelMassive.com.
Make sure to describe what your role is in the travel industry and add associated social media and website links.
👉 Cancellations: If you are no longer able to attend, please try to release your ticket 48 hrs (2 days) before the event so others can attend. Thank you for understanding.
🚨As these events are limited capacity we have a 3-strike no show policy.
📸 This event will be photographed by a member of a Travel Massive team or/and our event partner.
Land acknowledgment
We wish to acknowledge the Ancestral Traditional Territories of the Ojibway, the Anishnabe and, in particular, the Mississauga’s of the New Credit whose territories we gather on. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties.
Link to event pageBuilding better human connections all over the world.
IMEX Frankfurt is where the global meetings, events and incentive travel industry comes together annually for the largest trade show of its kind in Europe.
Where 4,500-plus global meeting planners connect with 3,100 suppliers from across the world, building powerful working relationships—to create better events, meetings and experiences.
This is where you can walk through the world in a day, immerse yourself in the latest industry developments and ideas, and find yourself at the heart of the global business events community.
Talking Point: Design Matters
In 2026–2027, we’re making Design Matters our Talking Point. Because good design isn’t just good business—it’s how things work, feel and change us.
Design is the ultimate differentiator. It’s design that helps organizations, brands and events stand out and be remembered. So, we’re inviting the global events industry to embrace design as a business superpower. Because it matters.
Learn more at frankfurt.imexevents.com
Link to event pageLet's get ready for Summer and kick it off in style with an LA Travel Meetup.
Travel Massive, Travel With Meaning, and Wanderful will be the co-hosts for this event — meet with travel industry professionals, creators and like-minded travelers for a social evening at one of LA's best wine bars.
Join us to connect with with travel change-makers, hospitality brands, creators, and innovators reshaping the future of travel and tourism.
🍷 Venue: Offhand Wine Bar
📍 Location: 3008 Santa Monica Blvd , Santa Monica, CA 90404 (maps.app.goo.gl/Rp8WN3Vpj3dvdzPR7)
🗓️ Date: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
🕕 Time: 5:00pm - 8pm
👉 Spaces are limited, RSVP is essential
Street parking available, ride share encouraged!
Let’s toast to new journeys, great conversations, and unforgettable travel inspiration.
— See you soon!
Link to event pageMaximizing Content Opportunities During FIFA World Cup Games in Toronto.
Hello Toronto Travel Massive community,
FIFA World Cup 2026™ is more than a tournament; it’s a once-in-a-generation moment for Toronto. For Destination Toronto and its local creator community, the games present an opportunity to garner unprecedented global attention, attract diverse audiences, and take advantage of a massive surge in real-time digital engagement.
Game on, Toronto! is your backstage pass to making the most of it. Join industry insiders and top creators as they break down how to capture the energy, diversity, and global buzz of the city in real time - turning fleeting match-day moments into powerful, lasting content. You’ll walk away with practical strategies for navigating rights and brand alignment, plus insider tips on creating content that performs. Whether you’re looking to grow your audience, elevate your storytelling, or tap into the massive digital wave surrounding the games, this session will show you how to position yourself - and Toronto - at the centre of it all.
After the panel, join us for food, drinks, games and prizes to kick-off the soccer celebration!
This event is for: ACTIVE Travel media and creators (journalists, reporters, bloggers, creators, influencers, YouTubers, podcasters) and travel advisors.
Always join the waitlist.
About Destination Toronto
Toronto’s visitor economy is a vital economic engine for the city, with a record 28.2 million visitors generating over $9 billion in visitor spending in 2025. Destination Toronto’s purpose is to ignite the city’s visitor economy to enrich and empower its communities. Operating in partnership with the City of Toronto and the tourism and hospitality community, Destination Toronto promotes the city to attract visitors and major meetings and events, and supports local businesses in maximizing the opportunities of the visitor economy. For more information, please visit DestinationToronto.com.
⏰ Schedule of activities:
6:00 PM: Arrival
6:15 PM: Welcome and fireside chat
7:00 PM: Group migration to The National for sips, bites, and bowling
8:00 PM: Prize pack raffle
8:30 PM: Event ends
Fireside chat speakers:
Panel Moderator: Lauren Jerome (she/her)
Senior Content Manager, Creative Marketing, Destination Toronto
IG: @destination_toronto | LI: @lauren-jerome | www.destinationtoronto.com
Lauren Jerome is the Senior Content Manager, Creative Marketing at Destination Toronto, where she leads content strategy for major campaigns—including ongoing work with the City of Toronto on FIFA World Cup 2026.
With a background spanning editorial and agency, she brings a strong mix of storytelling instincts and platform-savvy thinking. Lauren is especially interested in the intersection of travel, events, and creator culture—and how real-time moments can be turned into content that connects.
Panellist: Will Tang (he/him)
Content Creator, Destination Toronto Ambassador
IG: @goingawesomeplaces | goingawesomeplaces.com | www.youtube.com/goingawesomeplaces
Will, formerly a Toronto Travel Massive Chapter Leader, is the content creator behind Going Awesome Places, an award-winning travel brand that focuses on outdoor adventure and experiential travel through his website, YouTube channel, and social media. He's also an ambassador for Destination Toronto with a huge passion for his home city teams and all things sports and outdoors.
Panellist: Marissa Anwar (she/her)
Content Creator, Destination Toronto Ambassador
IG: @Marissa.Anwar
Marissa Anwar is an award-winning writer, producer, and marketing executive with a career spanning travel media, tourism, and tech. The creator of Darling Escapes and a producer at DEMG, she has developed content and campaigns for some of the world's most recognized tourism brands and brings a sharp digital perspective to destination storytelling.
A former social strategist at Lonely Planet and proud Toronto native, Marissa serves as a Destination Toronto Social Ambassador, championing her city to audiences around the globe.
Panelist: Enrique Miguel Baniqued
Film producer
IG @enriquemiguel_ | explorerscontent.com
Enrique Miguel Baniqued is a Filipino-Canadian film and digital content producer based in Toronto. With a background in business and film production, he works across narrative and branded content with a global perspective.
In 2025, Enrique became the youngest producer nominated for a Canadian Academy Award for VILLAGE KEEPER, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and was released theatrically nationwide. Alongside his narrative work, he has captured on-the-ground content during major global events, including FIFA-related activations, and produced branded content for organizations such as Destination Toronto, NBA, NHL, UFC, Family Feud Canada, the JUNOS and more.
⏰ Event giveaway:
Prize 1 & 2: FIFA toque, FIFA tote, FIFA mini soccer ball, and FIFA water bottle.
Grand Prize: FIFA toque, FIFA tote, FIFA mini soccer ball, FIFA water bottle, FIFA full size soccer ball, Two tickets to the Toronto Tempo Sept 20 game against the New York Liberty in Destination Toronto's private suite
T&C: The winner must be physically present at the event on May 20, 2026 to receive the reward.
👏 Venue partners:
Wellington Event Venue
The Well sets the stage for meaningful experiences that draw people from near and far to Eat, Shop, Work, Live and Play. Designed for community engagement, the Wellington Event Venue boasts 5,038 sq. ft. of a dynamic space nestled within Wellington Market on the Lower Ground level.
‣ thewelltoronto.com/directory/wellington-event-venue/
‣ thewelltoronto.com
National at the Well
National offers best-in-class beer, incredible cocktails & a thoughtfully curated food menu alongside a full-service bowling alley and arcade.
💬 Join the conversation:
• Travel Massive: @travelmassiveTO #TravelMassiveToronto
• Destination Toronto: IG: @destination_toronto | TT: @destinationtoronto | FB: @destinationtoronto #SeeTorontoNow
• Wellington Event Venue at The Well: @thewell_to
• National at the Well: IG: @ntnltoronto | FB: National Toronto | TT: @ntnltoronto
🎟️ Event registration: there is a maximum capacity, so make sure to register. If there is a waitlist still sign-up in case someone is no longer able to come we will add people from the waitlist. In the meantime, please have a look at your Travel Massive profile and take a moment to make sure it is up to date.
👉 Please note:
* All guests must be registered to attend.
* Attendees must have completed profile to register, including a photo, bio, and links.
* No +1s please.
* Must be an active member of the travel industry to attend with an approved and updated profile on TravelMassive.com.
👉 Cancellations:
If you are no longer able to attend, please try to release your ticket 48 hrs (2 days) before the event so others can attend. Thank you for understanding.
🚨As these events are limited capacity we have a 3-strike no show policy.
📸 This event will be photographed by a member of a Travel Massive team or/and our event partner.
Land acknowledgment: We wish to acknowledge the Ancestral Traditional Territories of the Ojibway, the Anishnabe and, in particular, the Mississauga’s of the New Credit whose territories we gather on. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties.
Link to event pageA Travel Massive London evening of neon, gin, and game-changing ideas in Walthamstow.
The most interesting things in travel rarely happen in the most obvious places. So this time, neither do we.
Join Travel Massive for an unforgettable evening designed for travel industry leaders and influencers who want more than the usual central London networking circuit. We’re heading to Walthamstow where creativity, community, and new ideas collide.
The Experience:
This isn’t one venue. It’s a journey.
🪩 Stop 1: A Neon Wonderland
We kick things off at God’s Own Junkyard; a legendary, immersive space where vintage neon signs glow, art meets chaos, and conversation starts instantly. Drinks in hand, surrounded by electric colour, this is your first signal that tonight will be different.
🍸 Stop 2: London’s Best Gin Bar
Next, we head to Mother’s Ruin Gin Palace — named Time Out’s #1 gin bar in London. Expect exceptional drinks, a buzzing atmosphere, and the kind of relaxed setting where introductions turn into real connections.
❤️ Stop 3: Where Travel Gets Personal
Then for something truly special.
We step inside a Walthamstow home - an intimate setting for meaningful conversation to discover Hoppswap.
Hoppswap is reimagining how we travel:
• A global home-swapping community built on trust and shared interests.
• Discover local lives to swap into and match with people in 100+ cities.
• A way to travel more, spend less, and feel at home anywhere.
This is travel stripped back to what really matters: people, connection, and belonging.
Ready to experience a different side of London and a different kind of travel event?
Join us in Walthamstow. 👉 Reserve your place now (spaces are limited).
📍 Location: Starting at God's Own Junkyard: Ravenswood Industrial Estate Shernhall St, London E17 9HQ
🗓️ Date: Thursday, 21st May 2026
🕕 Time: Meet between 18:00 - 18:30. Finished by 21:30.
✅ Advance RSVP Required
A few more details...
Getting there: It takes an average of 16 minutes to travel from London Liverpool Street to Walthamstow Central by train. With the fastest services taking just 14 minutes.
Heading out after: And we'll probably end the evening The Raglan as featured in Time Outs top 50 pubs in London.
Questions about this event? Please email your event host: Matthew Gardiner, Director of Travel Massive London: matthew@travelmassive.com
Please note: when you register for this event (which must be done in advance) we will also be sharing your details with Hoppswap to facilitate the evening. There will also be photography at the event.
Link to event pageHere's the 10 latest classified ads:
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