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:
A huge thanks to the hundreds of members from the [London Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/posts/london-travel-massive-979884824) and Stay22 community who packed the [Museum of Illusions](moilondon.uk) to celebrate Stay22's 10th anniversary and the exclusive launch of its [new brand identity](blog.stay22.com/new-brand-more-stay22?utm_source=travelmassive&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=travelmassive).
On the opening night of World Travel Market (WTM) London, [Travel Massive teamed up with Stay22](www.travelmassive.com/events/travel-massive-and-stay22-present-wtm-creators-social-at-the-museum-of-illusions-2497786467), the monetization partner for ambitious creators and intent-rich platforms, to take over the recently opened venue for an evening dedicated to the creators shaping the future of travel content, influence and inspiration.
The event brought together over 200 travel creators, influencers, publishers and brands from the UK and around the world. Guests explored the museum's creative and interactive art installations, which had been given a special Stay22-themed makeover.
#A new brand. A new chapter. StayGolden.
We heard from Stay22's head of marketing, [Rami Nuseir](www.travelmassive.com/@rami), and brand and creative lead, [Riham Fahed](www.travelmassive.com/@riham-fahed), who shared the journey behind the company's new brand identity and mission, which now centres on freedom as its north star.
For creators, that means freedom of time and money, such as income that holds up even in a slow month. For publishers and platforms, it means new revenue on top of what they already earn. Learn more about Stay22's brand journey and mission on [their blog](blog.stay22.com/new-brand-more-stay22?utm_source=travelmassive&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=travelmassive) and in this video below.
Goodbye, tech blue! Stay22's new look trades the blue it used to wear for a warm, golden palette. The company also introduced its new tagline, *StayGolden*, an affirmation for the more than 10,000 creators, publishers and platform partners in its community: "keep the thing that made you start, and thrive because of it."
#Golden giveaways
To mark the occasion, and thanks to our generous partners, guests had the chance to win one of three fantastic travel experiences: a five-night escape for two to Paros, courtesy of Votsalakía Seaside Escape and Aegean Airlines; an adventure along Croatia's Dalmatian coast with Live Breathe Hike; and a four-night stay for two with Makria Miti Estates. Congratulations to our lucky winners, and thank you to everyone who entered on the night!
#The travel creator economy, all in one room
One of the best things about the night was the mix of people. Bloggers, YouTubers and family travel creators mingled with airlines, hotels, booking platforms, travel media and the startups building what comes next, all under one (very illusory) roof.
The creators and publishers who make travel content their life's work included *Brogan Abroad*, *Bucket Half Full*, *BudgetTraveller*, *Czech It Sims*, *Discover Life Media*, *DownshiftingPRO*, *Elizabeth Explores*, *Globetotting*, *Going Awesome Places*, *Greta's Travels*, *Hey PJ*, *Intrepid Escape*, *It's All Trip To Me*, *J's Travel Diaries*, *JuliaSomething*, *Les Paresseux Curieux*, *Live Dream Discover*, *LiveShareTravel*, *Lounge Guru*, *Luxury Columnist*, *Map and Family*, *Memoirs & Musings*, *Mochileros TV*, *PCO Media*, *Shoot from the Trip*, *Skye Travels*, *Stoked to Travel*, *Storytelling That Counts*, *That Mum Travel Life*, *The Boutique Adventurer*, *The Curious Pixie*, *The Life of Jord*, *The Wondering Englishman*, *Travel Dave UK*, *Travelingmitch*, *Wander Up Front*, *Wanderlust Welsh*, *What to Do in Barcelona*, *WorldWideWriter* and many more.
The brands, travel companies and media who work alongside them included *Airport Dimensions*, *Aydinbey Group Hotels*, *BA Holidays*, *British Airways*, *easyJet holidays*, *Family Traveller*, *FINN Partners*, *Golfbreaks.com*, *Headout*, *Holafly*, *JayWay Travel*, *JRNY Magazine*, *Just a Drop*, *Kenwood Travel*, *lastminute.com*, *Latin Routes*, *Lonely Planet*, *Mastercard*, *Mozio*, *My Booking Rewards*, *Platform 195*, *Propellic*, *Samantha Brown Media*, *The Points Guy*, *Travel Dudes*, *TravMedia*, *Weather2Travel.com*, *Yas Plaza Hotels* and many more.
And the travel startups shaping the future of how we plan and book trips included *Geotourist*, *Guided*, *iWander*, *NaviSavi*, *Pangea*, *Reeltrip*, *RoamON*, *Scapade*, *Secret Experiences*, *Stiplo*, *Videreo* and many more.
Thanks to everyone who joined us, with a special thanks to [Marie](www.travelmassive.com/@marie-lechantoux-7570557972), [Maria](www.travelmassive.com/@maria-stoyanova), [Rami](www.travelmassive.com/@rami), [Riham](www.travelmassive.com/@riham-fahed), [Malcolm](www.travelmassive.com/@malcolm-archer-5383176116) and the entire Stay22 team for co-creating such an incredible event with the Travel Massive community, and to the staff at the Museum of Illusions for hosting us.
— Here’s to great people, new connections and staying golden ✨
Photo credit: [Laura Lewis](instagram.com/photolauralewis)
*Want to be part of events like this in London? Join [London Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/posts/london-travel-massive-979884824) and connect with our supportive tourism industry community. For sponsorship opportunities, contact [Matthew Gardiner](www.travelmassive.com/@matthewgardiner).*
What a night! A museum full of optical illusions is a dream venue for a room full of creators. Throw in great food, drinks, music and a brilliant crowd, and it all came together.
Seeing 200+ Travel Massive and Stay22 members turn up during one of the busiest weeks of the travel year was a real highlight for me.
The creator economy is moving fast, and the connections between creators, destinations, travel brands and tech companies matter more than ever.
Big thanks to the Stay22 team for trusting us with such a special moment in their brand journey. Thanks also to our prize partners for being so generous, and to everyone who came along and made the night what it was. And congrats again to Stay22 on the next chapter!
Have a scroll through the gallery for photos from the night, with huge thanks to Laura Lewis for capturing it all.
Looks like a fantastic event! Great job organizing!!
Looks like a blast! Sorry I wasn't across the pond.
Hey everyone, I'm Annie Vu, founder and CEO of TUBUDD, a Vietnam-based travel company. I studied and worked in the UK before building a business in Vietnam.
The story behind TUBUDD
TUBUDD (short for "Tour Buddy") started with two Canadian friends, a motorbike journey across Vietnam, and a word that became part of our identity: "Buddy".
When I was an undergraduate, two Canadian friends came to Vietnam and I spent around two weeks travelling with them by motorbike from north to south. Somewhere along the way they started calling me their "Buddy", and told me that having me with them made Vietnam feel like a second hometown. That comment stayed with me. What if more travellers could experience a country through the eyes of the people who live there, with hospitable, multilingual locals who enjoy sharing their culture, food and everyday lives? It was an exciting idea, but I had neither the resources nor a clear business model to make it happen.
Years later, while studying for my Master's in International Events Management in the UK, I travelled solo around Europe and often used Couchsurfing to meet local people. I wanted more than a checklist of attractions; I wanted to understand how people lived and what made each place different. Those trips showed me both sides: the joy of connecting with locals, and the uncertainty of arranging those connections informally, especially when travelling alone.
That became the starting point for TUBUDD, short for "Tour Buddy". The platform lets travellers connect with independent local Buddies, and gives local people a way to earn from their language skills, knowledge and enthusiasm for their home. Travellers choose the people and experiences that suit them, rather than following a fixed itinerary.
Over 1000 trips for travellers
Today, TUBUDD is a travel app where travellers can browse, connect with and book a Local Buddy based on their interests, then shape their own trip together. We chose the word "Buddy" deliberately instead of "guide": a Buddy is meant to be a companion and friend for the journey, not someone reciting a script. The app now has more than 700 Local Buddies, has supported over 1,000 trips for travellers from more than 100 countries, and has started connecting Vietnamese travellers with Vietnamese Buddies living in Korea, Japan and Taipei.
Take a look at our platform and learn more at tubudd.com
Lessons learned on my journey
Turning a nice idea into a business is another journey entirely. Building trust, setting clear expectations, maintaining service standards and making the economics work are all essential. A human connection might inspire a business, but it takes a sustainable model to keep it going.
What matters most to me is making local people active participants in the travel economy: not just people working behind the scenes, but people who help create the experience. Technology makes it easier to discover, book and coordinate, but the technology is not the experience. Often what a traveller remembers most is the person who helped them understand a place, feel welcome or see something they'd never have found on their own.
Thanks for reading my story and feel free to ask any questions!
I'm Halil Çınar from Istanbul, the founder and sole developer of Routavio, an independent multimodal journey planner that began as my MSc graduation project at Sabancı University.
The idea came from my own travels. I've been to more than 50 countries, mostly in Europe, and when visiting friends or organising trips I kept running into the same problem. Flight search engines are good at getting you to an airport, but what happens when your actual destination is a smaller city, a coastal town, or somewhere without its own airport? Finding the flight was easy. Working out the rest of the journey meant searching trains, buses and ferries separately and piecing it together myself.
Routavio (routavio.com) brings flights, trains, buses and ferries together so travellers can compare complete door-to-door journeys, not just the leg to the airport. For example, someone travelling to Colmar can explore routes that combine a flight to a nearby airport with an onward rail connection, rather than stopping the search at the airport.
What makes Routavio different
• Searches every airport near your final destination
• Finds the onward train, bus or ferry from each one
• Combines several transport modes in a single route
• Checks transfer times so connections are realistic
• Labels each price as live, cached or estimated
• Built on open operator timetables (GTFS)
• Wind Drift plans a trip from your own description
Routavio doesn't sell tickets, make bookings or process payments. Travellers complete their bookings directly with the relevant operator or provider.
Flights are covered worldwide, while ground and ferry connections currently focus mainly on Europe and Türkiye.
I'd love for travel professionals to try it on a journey you know well and tell me what works, what's missing, and how you approach the challenge of connecting fragmented transport networks.
Thanks for your feedback and comments!
Hello Halil, how are you?
Your idea is fantastic, and I would personally use it but i have the feeling that many companies are making similar projects, with a bit more money on the table! ;) However it looks good.
One advice? When you look for a trip you display too much info all together. Small letters all together. It's hard to read.
It looks better after you click the "See the rute" buttom , I would include all details in that space, with more clear info with clear lecture.
Congrats anyway!
Cheers,
Hi!
I'm doing great, thank you! Hope you're doing well too.
Thank you so much for taking the time to check out Routavio and share your thoughts. I really appreciate it!
You're absolutely right, it's a competitive space, especially with some big players and much bigger budgets. But I believe there's still room to approach travel planning differently, and that's exactly what we're trying to do.
Your feedback about the amount of information is particularly valuable. I completely see your point, and we're already working on making the interface cleaner, simpler, and easier to navigate. I'll definitely keep your suggestion about the "See the route" section in mind!
Thanks again for the encouragement and constructive feedback. It really means a lot, especially at this early stage!
Cheers,
Halil
Hey everyone, I'm the founder and developer of OneVoice, based in Italy. I'm exploring how translation technology can improve communication between hotels, travel businesses and international guests.
The problem I'm solving:
In hospitality, the phone language barrier is one of the most immediate and stressful challenges to handle in real time. It's often not just about a booking, but a guest who needs urgent help, directions or clarification before they arrive.
Do you speak with guests in different languages?
You may have experienced this: The phone rings, you answer, and the guest on the other end is speaking a language you don't understand at all.
- What strategies or tools (live translation apps, shortcuts, scripts) do you currently use so that neither you nor the guest panics?
- Do you have a Plan B, such as switching to a written chat like WhatsApp or SMS where automated translation is easier, or do you rely on a multilingual team member?
- What is the most complex language-barrier situation you've had to resolve?
Thanks for your insights and I look forward to your feedback!
What I'm building:
OneVoice Business is a web-based service for real-time translated phone calls. Each person speaks their own language and hears the other person translated, with translated subtitles on screen. A hotel or B&B sets up its own page with its logo and contact details, then shares the link on its website, as a QR code, or by WhatsApp or email. Guests choose their language and call from the browser, with no app or account needed. Learn more at onevoicebusiness.ermeslogic.com
Thank you to everyone who joined us at Stripe's London HQ on the eve of World Travel Market for our [Live Show at Travel Massive London](www.travelmassive.com/events/live-show-travel-massive-london-stripe-and-travel-trends-podcast-wtm-eve-3976790834), with two panel conversations on payments, infrastructure, AI and where travel is heading in 2027. It was a full house, and this year we also tried something new: [Dan Christian](www.travelmassive.com/@dan-christian) from [Travel Trends Podcast](www.traveltrendspodcast.com) recorded the first panel live in the room as a podcast episode.
Earlier in the day, around 40 people joined an [AI Workshop](www.travelmassive.com/events/ai-workshop-building-the-agentic-travel-journey-live-3322430638) hosted by [Christian Watts](www.travelmassive.com/@christian-watts). A small group of builders created a working Nordic-focused booking site in a single afternoon, with WhatsApp booking, live hotel inventory from Nuitée and payments through Stripe. A big thanks to [James Lemon](www.travelmassive.com/@james-lemon) and the Stripe team for hosting us again, to [Matthew Gardiner](www.travelmassive.com/@matthewgardiner) for bringing this event to [Travel Massive London](www.travelmassive.com/posts/london-travel-massive-979884824), and to Dan Christian for recording his podcast with the room.
Here's an overview of the conversations, and photos (in the gallery), from the evening.
Live Podcast Recording: Why Payments and People Will Decide Who Wins in Travel
Dan Christian hosted James Lemon (Global Lead – Hospitality, Travel & High Growth Industries, Stripe) and [Claire McCarthy](www.travelmassive.com/@claire-mccarthy) (Director of Account Management & Business Development, Nuitée) for the live Travel Trends Podcast recording. The conversation covered payments, the "plumbing" of travel distribution, and where people still matter.
James argued that payments is still rarely a top priority for travel boards, even though it shapes conversion, ancillary revenue and fraud protection. Claire explained how infrastructure like Nuitée's lets companies launch booking products quickly. She gave the examples of Yonder, which went live with a white label in two weeks, and Revolut, which kept travel bookings inside its own app.
On where humans remain essential, Claire described booking a trip from an AI-generated itinerary only to find the rates were no longer available. Her point was that someone needs to be there when things go wrong. James hoped AI would free frontline teams to focus on hospitality, but warned the workforce could split between people who learn these tools and people who fall behind.
Looking to 2027, Claire highlighted accessibility, with technology opening travel to more businesses and travellers. James saw three shifts: a better era for travellers, more openings for entrepreneurs to build, and a need for leaders to learn AI hands-on. Audience questions turned to fear of AI and where trust will sit. Both panellists agreed that trust will be the defining issue, and that startups will often borrow it from the infrastructure they run on.
Our take: treat payments as part of the guest experience, build on existing infrastructure rather than from scratch, and keep a human on hand for the moments AI gets wrong.
When AI Agents Start Booking: What Travel Brands Need to Change
James Lemon moderated [Christian Watts](www.travelmassive.com/@christian-watts) (Founder and CEO, Magpie Travel), [Carlo Del Mistro](www.travelmassive.com/@carlo-del-mistro) (Founder, Stiplo), [Jule Owen](www.travelmassive.com/@jule-owen) (Group Chief Product Officer, Forge Holiday Group) and [Kate Cox](www.travelmassive.com/@kate-cox) (Chief Marketing Officer, Guesty).
Christian described how coding tools now let people build complete products from start to finish, but said the pace leaves many feeling overwhelmed. Kate explained that Guesty offers property managers pre-built AI agents, and that the real question is what operators do with the time those agents give back. Jule shared that guests are increasingly discovering holidays through AI, though it isn't yet turning into bookings, so Forge Holiday Group is placing several bets at once.
Carlo shared findings from [Stiplo's research](www.travelmassive.com/posts/free-report-what-really-drives-hotel-visibility-in-ai-search-347303946) into how AI assistants recommend hotels. The number of Google reviews, more than the scores, was a strong driver of visibility. Good SEO still matters for winning the direct link, and in a sample of around 5,000 hotel booking journeys, roughly 12% had terms and conditions issues that blocked AI agents.
James made the case that personal AI agents such as [Instinct](instinct.com) and [Muse](muse.ai) by Meta mark a turning point. He urged businesses to make their checkout work as well for an agent as for a human. Christian expected intermediaries to be squeezed, while Jule stressed that the personal relationship with owners and guests is not something AI should replace. Kate summed up the year ahead as "machine-readable but human-bodied," and James left the room with a question: if a tenth of your demand came from AI agents a year from now, what would you change today?
Our take: make sure AI can find you through reviews and SEO, make sure an agent can complete a booking on your site, and keep the human relationship as your edge.
From Tokyo to Vietnam: Travel Massive's Year Ahead
At the beginning of the event, we also heard from Travel Massive's founder [Ian Cumming](www.travelmassive.com/@ian) with a look at the past year: in-person events in over 20 countries, including new chapter leaderships and events in [Morocco](www.travelmassive.com/posts/morocco-travel-massive-444528319), [Tokyo](www.travelmassive.com/posts/tokyo-travel-massive-570089860), [Melbourne](www.travelmassive.com/posts/melbourne-travel-massive-258662400), [Lisbon](www.travelmassive.com/posts/lisbon-travel-massive-991705117), [Bucharest](www.travelmassive.com/posts/bucharest-travel-massive-159342838) and [Singapore](www.travelmassive.com/posts/singapore-travel-massive-891019239), and research reports on [new business growth](www.travelmassive.com/pages/growth-report-2026) with Stripe, and the [global creator economy](www.travelmassive.com/stay22) with Stay22. He also previewed what's coming next: a new [Travel Massive Advisory](www.travelmassive.com/pages/work-with-us), the return of our [Asia conference](www.travelmassive.com/asia) in Vietnam, and a sneak peek at Travel Massive conference in London next year.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, asked questions and stayed for pizza and conversation. Explore the full photo gallery above, and we hope to see you at the next event.
*Photos by Becca and Joel from [Global Convoy](www.globalconvoy.com).*
This event was so much fun, especially watching Dan host his podcast with a live audience!
It's always a pleasure being a part of these World Travel Market week events and seeing our London Travel Massive community continue to grow, with so many founders and stories of growth and success in the room. Well done to the team and a big thanks to James and Stripe for being so welcoming.
Looking forward to the podcast episode coming out!
What a great way to start WTM - best pre-WTM Monday I've ever had :-)
I've heard so many lovely comments from people about this event! Thanks to all our thoughtful speakers, and Dan, Matthew and of course Ian for continuing to champion innovation across the industry.
I hope everyone had a great WTM!
A most excellent evening and fun twist to have Dan recording. I look forward to hearing the finished podcast product!
Hi, I'm Oxy, the developer of Ruto. The idea came from my sister, who travels with a caravan.
Ruto brings the route, vehicle details, country requirements and a departure checklist together for a European motorhome or caravan trip.
I've also been turning parts of the knowledge base into practical PDF guides. These are available on our website without an email signup, including a workbook for a first trip abroad.
The app and guides are here: 1tnt.link/ruto/
I would be interested to hear which parts of pre-trip preparation are hardest to keep track of, especially when crossing several countries.
Hi Oxy, I’m Chris, an RV owner in Orlando and founder of RentMyRV.com, currently in development. The departure-checklist approach is relevant to helping people try RV travel with confidence. Does your checklist distinguish between preparing to drive and setting up at a campsite, including hookups? I’d be interested in which questions first-time motorhome travelers ask most often.
Hi Chris, thanks for taking a look! Yes — Ruto has separate checklists for leaving a pitch and arriving at one. Departure covers things like unplugging the power cable, retracting the step and closing roof vents; arrival covers levelling, power and water.
The current version focuses on Europe, and we’re working on US coverage too, so your perspective as an RV owner who rents out would be especially useful.
We’re still gathering feedback from beginners, so I wouldn’t claim to have a reliable “most asked” list yet. What are the three things you find yourself explaining most often when handing over your RV to a first-time renter?
Hi, I'm Anna. I'm based in Lisbon, where I research and write stories about the history, people and overlooked details that make places worth exploring.
I'm creating Nadoloni, a self-guided audio walking app in Lisbon.
Why I'm creating Nadoloni
I've been on guided tours where, after two hours of listening, I could barely remember anything.
There were dates, names of kings, architectural styles, construction periods, and renovations. By the time we reached the next building, the details from the previous one had already started to fade.
But sometimes a guide would mention something unexpected. A strange decision, an unusual custom, or a small detail about someone's life. That would stay with me. Weeks later, I might forget which century a church was built in, but I'd still remember that one story.
This observation became an important part of how I approached Nadoloni, the self-guided audio walking app I've been creating in Lisbon.
The hardest part is deciding what to leave out
Lisbon has centuries of history. Even a relatively ordinary building can lead you down several different paths of research.
When I research a location, I often find much more material than I can use. Some of it is fascinating, but a person standing in the street doesn't necessarily want to listen to a fifteen-minute lecture before moving on.
So I have to make choices.
I look for a detail that can carry the story. Something that gives the listener a reason to care about what happened there. Once I've found it, I build the audio around that detail and keep the historical context needed to understand it.
Sometimes that means leaving out information that took hours to research. Being interesting isn't always enough to earn a place in the final story.
Two ravens and a ship
One of my favourite examples comes from Lisbon's coat of arms.
It shows a ship with two ravens. You can see it above the entrance to Lisbon's City Hall, and the same symbol appears on buildings in Eduardo VII Park.
The birds are connected to a medieval legend about Saint Vincent, the city's patron saint.
According to the legend, ravens guarded his body after his death, protecting it from wild animals. Centuries later, when his remains were brought by ship to Lisbon, two ravens accompanied the vessel on its journey.
Once you know the story, you start noticing the ravens in places you'd previously walked past without a second glance.
This is the kind of experience I hope to create with Nadoloni. You hear something during a walk, and later, when you encounter the same detail elsewhere, you recognise it. Perhaps you'll even point it out to someone you're travelling with.
Building Nadoloni around those stories
I started Nadoloni with two walking routes: one through Lisbon's historic centre and another through Belém, exploring Portugal's Age of Discoveries.
The app combines original audio stories with ready-made routes and interactive maps. Visitors can listen at the places connected to each story and explore at their own pace.
It's available for iPhone, and the first five stories of each route are free to try.
You can find it at nadoloni.app/en/
I'd love to hear from other guides and tour creators:
What's one story you always include in your tours, even though it might seem like a minor detail in the broader history of a place?
Anna, I really appreciate your approach to storytelling, particularly the idea that knowing what to leave out can be just as important as knowing what to include.
One experience that has stayed with me comes from Aegina, Greece, during the Feast of Saint Nektarios. As the religious procession passes through the town, local residents place icons outside their homes, burn incense, and scatter flower petals along the route.
It's a simple detail, but it tells a much deeper story about the relationship between a community, its traditions, and its sense of belonging.
At YALA GREECE, we believe these human details are often what make a destination truly memorable.
Wishing you success with Nadoloni. It's encouraging to see storytelling placed at the heart of the travel experience.
Thank you, Ihsan! That’s a beautiful example, and exactly the kind of detail that stays with people. Wishing Yala Greece every success too.
What do you give people who have already seen most of the world? On 25 October 2026, NomadMania's answer was a night of recognition in Bangkok.
Founded in 2012, NomadMania is a leading travel community for independent travellers who go beyond the ordinary and obvious destinations. The [6th NomadMania Travel Awards](nomadmania.com/6th-nomadmania-travel-awards-review-bangkok-thailand-october-25-2026/) closed this year's [Extraordinary Travel Festival](www.extraordinarytravelfest.com) with 12 awards for travellers, fixers, content creators and volunteers.
Many in the room had reached all 193 UN countries, and the rest were well on their way. But what made this year's winners stand out wasn't how many countries they had visited. It was how they got there.
#The stories behind the awards
- Travel with kids? Elena did the whole world. [Elena Chechina](www.instagram.com/adventures_with_daughters/) won Biggest NomadMania Traveller after travelling the world with very young children. She is the fourth woman to take the award since 2021.
- 193 countries on a "hard" passport. [Kach Umandap](www.instagram.com/2monkeystravel/) of the Philippines won the Low Passport Index award for reaching every UN country on a Philippines passport alone. Anyone who has queued at an embassy for a visa knows what that takes.
- A first for fixers. [Chloris Ankunda](www.instagram.com/chloe_uganda_tours) became the first woman named best fixer. She is fast becoming the go-to person for anyone planning a trip to Uganda.
- Still going after 193. The Lifetime Achievement award went to Japanese couple Kazuto and Azusa Matsumoto. Azusa is the first Japanese woman known to have reached all 193 countries, and they are one of only a handful of couples to have seen the whole world together.
#The 2026 NomadMania Travel Awards winners
Chosen by community vote
- Biggest NomadMania Traveller: Elena Chechina (Russian / Sweden)
- Biggest Low Passport Index Traveller: Kach Umandap (Philippines)
- Best Fixer: Chloris Ankunda (Uganda)
- Best Travel Book: The World is your Playground by Ildiko Szabo (Hungary)
- Best Travel Digital Content Creator: Chris Joondeph (USA / Nigeria)
- Most Purposeful Traveller: Dondon Bales (Philippines / Australia)
Chosen by the Awards Committee
- Lifetime Achievement: Kazuto and Azusa Matsumoto (Japan)
- Against All Odds: Maura Ward (Ireland) and Hayley Kennedy (UK)
- Best NomadMania Team Member: Pedro Peticov (Brazil)
- Best NomadMania Envoy: Yan Pun (Australia)
- Best NomadMania Friend: Jack Shepherd (UK / Sweden) and Stephen Nemeth (USA)
- Best Counting Countries Podcast Interview: Yael Pericard (France)
#See you in Moldova
This was the last time the awards will run as a standalone night. From 2027 they move into the [NomadMania Conference](nomadmania.com/conference7/), and the 7th edition will be held in Orhei, Moldova, in July 2027.
Who would you nominate next year? Tell us in the comments, and [read the full review](nomadmania.com/6th-nomadmania-travel-awards-review-bangkok-thailand-october-25-2026/) on the 2026 NomadMania Travel Awards.
*Photo credits: Ric Gazarian and the Extraordinary Travel Festival team*
Congrats to all the winners and these awards are a great way to recognise people's travel achievements in this field and to make us think differently about how people travel. It was a pleasure to attend the awards alongside the ETF and as always the presentations are a top-notch production.
Maybe we should come to Moldova to see next year's awards!
It would be great to have you with us again, Ian :-)
Wow, surprised to see Moldova announced as the next host! The Moldovan community seems to be relatively quiet here on Travel Massive, and while NomadMania is a bit better known locally, though still feels like there is plenty of room for the community to grow.
Hopefully by July 2027 we’ll see more people from Moldova active here as well. Also, happy that more will get the chance to discover the beauty of our country, its hospitality, landscapes food and wine. Definitely looking forward to that!
For anyone here who has already been to Moldova, what was your impression? Was there one place, experience or thing about the country that stayed with you?
One of the main reasons we chose Moldova as the destination for our next NomadMania Conference is its uniqueness and relatively low popularity among global travellers.
Moldova is one of the least-visited countries in Europe, yet it is also home to remarkable ethnic and cultural diversity, making it a perfect match for our upcoming theme: Ethnicities, Minorities and Local Peoples.
This is exactly what NomadMania is about: discovering the world's less-travelled destinations, exploring their unique identities and connecting with places and people beyond the usual tourist trails.
Everyone is already so excited about the upcoming event! :-)
We would also be delighted to team up with local travel industry players and build meaningful partnerships to showcase the best of Moldova to our international community.
I absolutely loved my time in Moldova and would love to visit again!
I am related to the local travel industry so if there is something specific that you need, please let me know. Looking forward to the conference!
Glad to hear that, Casey. Thank you for sharing your experience! Did you get the chance to explore outside Chisinau as well?
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!
Brilliant event, had so much fun, thanks for organising, Benjamin!
What a day! It was great to meet you all, Thank you very much for the invitation , we had a great time!!
Great evening! Patrick and I really enjoyed catching up with fellow travel professionals, exchanging ideas, and exploring potential collaborations in such a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. That's how the best connections happen! Thanks to everyone who made it possible! 🙌
By the way, did anyone finally win the bingo? 😄
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
HERE'S THE NEXT 5 UPCOMING EVENTS:
Join 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
Join Top Travel Innovators, Creators, and Marketers at Travel Massive Asia Conference 2027, in Da Nang, Vietnam on August 19–21.
Travel Massive Asia Conference 2027 returns to Da Nang, Vietnam for three days (Thursday 19th to Saturday 21st August) focused on innovation, creation, and marketing in travel and tourism.
Day 1 (Founders Summit & Startup Lab) is a new day for travel startup founders and builders with a focus on strategic planning and development.
Day 2 (Conference) brings expert-led workshops, industry panels, founder interviews, and an international startup pitch competition.
Day 3 (Masterclasses) offers small-group tourism and creator masterclasses in the historic UNESCO World Heritage town of Hoi An, followed by an exclusive after party.
🏝️ The conference will be hosted at the Ariyana Convention Centre, a 5-star conference facility built for the 25th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, located in the centre of the beachfront Ariyana Danang Tourism Complex.
👉 This is an exclusive event for: travel industry professionals, tourism operators, travel startups, verified travel creators, influencers and KOLs, and relevant industry experts and media.
Speakers, schedule and tickets will be announced in early 2027. Save the date, and follow this page for updates. Join the waitlist to be the first to know when early bird tickets go on sale.
Questions? Contact us at asia@travelmassive.com
Watch highlights from our 2026 conference:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_gSzxeaOlc
See photos and highlights from 2026: www.travelmassive.com/posts/highlights-and-photos-from-travel-massive-asia-conference-2026-in-da-nang-vietnam-760873750
Link to event pageHere's the 10 latest classified ads:
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