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:
Hi everyone, I’m Josh, co-founder of Jumpseat.
Our team has spent more than 15 years working in flight tracking and aviation software, but Jumpseat is also a very personal project for us. It grew from an idea we had years ago and never quite let go of: that flying should feel less fragmented, and that the journeys connecting people deserve a product of their own.
We’re here not only to introduce Jumpseat, but to learn from people across travel technology, aviation, tourism and media. Honest feedback, difficult questions and early-beta curiosity are all very welcome.
The flight app we waited 15 years to build.
More than 15 years ago, our co-founder Alex went looking for a simple way to share flights with friends.
A place where you could follow each other’s journeys, know when someone was taking off or landing, and keep the memories made along the way. He couldn’t find it. At the time, the idea was ahead of the technology. Flight data was too fragmented and unreliable to build the experience properly.
That search is also how the four of us found each other. We had all spent years using different flight trackers, looking for something better, and even working together on flight-tracking products in the past.
Panos had already taken an early run at that vision. More than a decade ago, he co-founded Flying, a social app for frequent flyers created to bring some of the glamour back to air travel.
Across those different paths, we kept seeing the same gap: flight data was getting better, but the experience for travelers was not. Today, Josh shapes product and design, Patryk oversees development as our CTO, Alex drives product and the business, and Panos is responsible for marketing and growth.
And now, the timing is right. Jumpseat starts with the utility travelers need most. We obsessed over speed, especially for gate changes, delays and cancellations. We cared just as much about the experience around that data, because flight software does not have to feel like flight software.
Every flight, better shared
Jumpseat keeps your flights, updates and travel history together in one beautifully designed app.
Then it goes further. Follow friends. See where they are flying. Share photos and travel moments. Like and comment on their journeys. Build a living history of every route, airport and memory. Think Strava for flying: genuinely useful on your own, even better when your people are there. Because flights are not just logistics. They are holidays, homecomings, work trips, reunions and adventures. They are life events in motion. Jumpseat gives those moments a home.
👉 Check out our community map at app.withjumpseat.com/community
🎉 Jumpseat is now live on the App Store. Download it, add your next flight and make every journey count: apps.apple.com/us/app/jumpseat-social-flight-log/id6757955101
Looking forward to meeting more of the Travel Massive community!
PS: For the Travel Massive community: the first 500 members can claim three months of Jumpseat World free: tmsv.co/jumpseat_3_months_free
Anyone who is attending Kerala Travel Mart this year (September 24–27, 2026, in Kochi, Kerala, India)?
I will be interested to catchup if anyone from Travel Massive Community is attending.
PS- If you are interested in attending you can still register as a hosted buyer at www.keralatravelmart.org
I'm interested in attending, but I was hoping to get some insights from individuals or brands who have attended ATM in the past or are planning to attend this year.
In particular, if anyone could share their experience with the Buyer Insights and how useful it was for connecting with relevant B2B partners, that would be really helpful.
I'm hoping to connect with potential partners from Europe who are interested in experiential travel offerings in the Indian subcontinent, so I'd love to understand whether ATM would be the right platform for this.
Hi everyone, I'm Raj Gyawali. Some of you know me from socialtours in Nepal. I'm one of the co-creators of Resonate and part of the founding team. I've spent 20+ years working in responsible tourism across Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, and Ghana, and Resonate is the project I'm most excited about right now. I wanted to share why, and hear what you think.
Here's the belief it's built on:
The world doesn't need more travel content. It needs better travel stories.
We started Resonate (resonate.travel) to move beyond lists, influencers, and bucket lists, and instead tell the stories that give places meaning. Stories about culture, nature, and the people and experiences that shape a destination. Stories told by local voices, and ones locals are genuinely proud to share.
It's a digital magazine and storytelling platform celebrating travel that builds deeper connections between people, places, and purpose. We publish thoughtful work from local storytellers, travellers, photographers, and industry experts who believe travel can be immersive, regenerative, and culturally meaningful.
Because travel should do more than take us somewhere. It should connect us to local pride and local stories, and help us understand why a place truly matters.
We're at 153 stories from 120 storytellers across 71 countries, plus 40 destination guides — and we're just getting started.
🌍 Learn more about our community and joins us at resonate.travel/community/
What makes a travel story resonate for you?
And whose local voice do you wish more travellers heard?
Great concept, Raj. Certainly, we need more local voices and real user experiences.
Just curious, how will readers/users discover this page and stories?
Hi Travel Massive community!
We created TripProf because planning a trip often means switching between multiple apps, notes, screenshots, maps, documents, chats, and spreadsheets. This becomes even more complicated when people travel together.
Group trips bring additional challenges: coordinating different preferences, agreeing on an itinerary, keeping everyone informed about changes, managing shared bookings and documents, tracking group expenses, and calculating who owes whom. Important information can easily get lost across different group chats and applications.
TripProf brings the key parts of a journey together in one place. Travelers can:
• Create a personalized travel guide for their destination
• Build and organize a day-by-day itinerary
• Keep important trip information, tickets, and documents together
• Track individual and shared expenses
• Split costs between selected group members
• Record who paid and calculate outstanding balances
• Create a packing list and prepare for the trip
• Keep useful information accessible during the journey
Our goal is not simply to create another travel-planning app. We want to build a practical travel companion that helps both individual travelers and groups feel more prepared, organized, and confident before and during their journeys.
TripProf is still growing, and feedback from real travelers and travel professionals is extremely important to us.
We would especially love to learn:
1. What is the most difficult part of organizing a group trip?
2. How do you currently coordinate plans, expenses, and documents with your travel companions?
3. Which TripProf features would be most useful during your trips?
4. What functionality would make you use TripProf regularly?
We would be happy to invite members of the Travel Massive community to try the platform and share their honest feedback. Your experience and suggestions can directly influence how TripProf develops.
👉 Learn more at tripprof.com/en
Thank you — we look forward to connecting with the community!
Nice
Thank you for your comment. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them.
Hi, my name is Anne Somanas and I've been a travel journalist for over 10 years based out of Bangkok, Thailand — and one of the Chapter Leaders for Bangkok Travel Massive. My new website, PillowBox, started out as a plan to list out new hotel openings in Thailand for my own reference - but I eventually thought, "Why not just expand it to the rest of APAC as well to gain a bigger picture of what's happening across the region?"
If you've ever wanted to see what hotels are opening in APAC, in new destinations, under which brands and loyalty programmes, today you can do so here.
Introducing the PillowBox: the first dedicated platform tracking premium (4★ and 5★) noteworthy hotel openings across the APAC region (excluding China, with our most detailed coverage currently in Thailand).
🌟 What you’ll find on the platform:
- 300+ Noteworthy Openings (2025 Onwards): We’ve tracked over 300 key properties out of a roughly 2,500+ regional pipeline.
- 195 Market Firsts: Explore brand debuts and milestone entries in new destinations.
- Flexible Views: Easily filter by country, hotel brand, or loyalty program.
- Regular Updates: Refreshed monthly as new destinations and hotels are announced.
How to get the best experience:
- Best on Desktop: Best viewed on a laptop for the complete visual overview.
- Add it on Mobile as a Web App: Tap Share Add to Home Screen on iOS or Android
🤝 Help us build the most accurate APAC tracker:
While we can't cover every single property, we want this overview to be as accurate as possible:
See an omission or inaccuracy? Easily submit a correction or missing listing—it takes under a minute!
Want to collaborate? Reach out to partner with us.
👉 Explore the tracker here: apac-hotel-openings.vercel.app
This is great Anne, and really fascinating to be honest, so many new hotels!!
Hi Travel Massive community, I'm building TravUp and I'd love your read on my project.
Travelers can now book nearly every component of a trip online. But turning those bookings into a journey that actually works remains remarkably difficult.
Flights have been digitized. Hotels have been digitized. Activities have been digitized. Travel expertise has not.
For those of us building travel products, the question is no longer whether AI will influence the journey. The question is whose knowledge will it rely upon? And how will that knowledge be verified? These are the problems we are solving with TravUp.
A quick note on how I got here
Before entering travel, I earned a PhD in oil refining and spent nearly two decades managing international teams, complex operations, and billion dollar budgets. Then I left that career to pursue something I genuinely loved: creating immersive travel experiences.
I first launched a company that designed multiday journeys extending far beyond traditional sightseeing. The goal was not to visit famous landmarks, but to help travelers understand a country through its history, culture, food, local stories, and everyday life. With only three tour programs, we were receiving 250 to 300 inquiries every month. The response confirmed that travelers want carefully designed journeys where every stop, transition, and recommendation had a purpose.
But the model could not scale. Every journey required weeks of research, field testing, logistics planning, and refinement by experienced travel designers. We could create these experiences for only a limited number of travelers. That realization forced us to ask a different question: could we scale travel expertise itself?
The problem we eventually found
At first, we assumed travelers needed a better planning tool. The deeper we looked, the more we realized we were solving the wrong problem. Planning was only part of the challenge. Execution is a real problem. Travelers spend weeks researching a multiday trip and still encounter costly mistakes once they are on the road.
The travel industry has become remarkably good at helping people book flights, hotels, rental cars, activities, and restaurants. But someone still has to connect those pieces into a coherent experience. That requires deciding what to visit, in what order, how long to stay, when to slow down, and how to account for opening hours, travel times, and local conditions. These decisions determine whether a journey feels natural or rushed.
Experienced travel designers make these decisions using knowledge accumulated over years. Their value lies not only in managing logistics, but in understanding how hundreds of small choices affect the overall journey. We realized that the missing layer is not another booking platform. It is travel expertise itself.
How we're solving it
This insight shaped the development of TravUp. Rather than asking AI to invent journeys from scratch, we began capturing and structuring the knowledge that traditionally lives inside the heads of experienced travel experts.
AI can produce an itinerary in seconds, but that isn't enough. A great itinerary is not just locations and content. It is a sequence of decisions that works in the real world. Ignore opening hours, travel times, seasonal changes, local conditions, or a traveler's natural pace, and one mistake can mean hours lost on the road, missed experiences, unexpected costs, or unnecessary stress.
At TravUp, we chose to begin with something less visible but more fundamental: a verified travel knowledge base created through human expertise and fieldwork. Routes are researched, traveled, tested, fact checked, and refined before AI enters the process, every stop filled with immersive storytelling. Cultural and historical information is cross referenced with reliable sources, because trust matters as much as convenience.
Today, that knowledge base supports 13 journeys tested in the field across more than 70 cities in four countries, including more than 10,000 curated images, over 200 hours of narrated audio, and hundreds of practical decisions handled on the traveler's behalf. Only then does AI enter the process, not to replace expertise, but to personalize how it is applied to each traveler's interests, pace, budget, and changing circumstances. For us, that is the difference between generating an itinerary and helping someone navigate a journey.
What I'd love from this community
Today, TravUp is live. Now we're focused on early adopters, like you, and before we push harder on growth I want to pressure test the core thesis with people who understand this industry deeply.
My ask: what do you make of the approach? Does the idea of a verified, human built knowledge base as the foundation for AI resonate with how you see travel technology evolving? Where do you think it is strongest, and where might it fall down?
As part of early access, we’re giving 3 months free specially for Travel Massive members.
Use promo code TRAVELMASSCOM3M by August 31.
Or redeem it using the links.
App Store:
apps.apple.com/redeem?ctx=offercodes&id=6758667212&code=TRAVELMASSCOM3M
Google Play:
travelupapp.com/redeem?code=TRAVELMASSCOM3M
Super user friendly and !
Cool
good idea it will helps travels
Great idea! while AI has provided some great solution, there are many where it needs to word hard!
Just curious, you mentioned that information is gathered, checked and tested... how do you gather the information and ensure that it is relevant and up to date because these days, things change so fast.
Thanks for you comment and kind words!
The itineraries are designed manually due to the complexity of real-world travel planning.
The great thing about our solution is that landmarks don't actually change. Countries preserve their heritage and tourist attractions, so there's almost nothing to update in the main Points of Interest.
What does change is transportation, opening hours, contact information, and food recommendations. We regularly update this information using data aggregators such as Google Maps and transportation platforms.
Thanks to everyone who joined us LIVE for [What's Driving Content Monetization in 2026](www.travelmassive.com/events/live-webinar-whats-driving-content-monetization-in-2026-4665056992) in partnership with Stay22 for a candid conversation on turning travel content into a sustainable business, and special thanks to our expert panel for sharing their experiences.
One theme ran through the whole conversation: sustainable success as a travel content creator comes from treating the work like a business. That means building a focused niche, diversifying income beyond ads and sponsorships, being strategic about press trips and pitches, and pairing genuine passion with professionalism.
Missed the LIVE webinar? Watch the replay below.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BTUrveC9zU
Meet our expert panel: [Kash Bhattachary](www.travelmassive.com/@budgettraveller) (Founder and Editor of [BudgetTraveller](budgettraveller.org)), [Carae Hilcher](www.travelmassive.com/@girlonazebra) (Travel Blogger at [Girl on a Zebra](girlonazebra.com)), and [Félix Contant](www.linkedin.com/in/felixcontant1/) (Creator Partnerships at [Stay22](www.stay22.com)), moderated by [Matthew Gardiner](www.travelmassive.com/@matthewgardiner) ([London Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/posts/london-travel-massive-979884824)).
👉 This LIVE webinar explored findings from [The Travel Creator Economy in 2026 Report](www.travelmassive.com/stay22/creators-2026-report) — download it for free to dive into our global survey of more than 500 creators and industry members.
Ready for the recap and ten key takeaways? Let's roll!
1. What makes a creator go pro
What separates full-time creators from hobbyists is treating the blog like a business from day one. That was Kash's core point — a mindset he credits to his background in publishing. The habits that mark serious creators: consistency, ongoing investment in skills like SEO and copywriting, and regular attendance at industry events ([WTM](www.wtm.com/london/en-gb.html), [ITB](www.itb.com/en), [Travel Massive Asia](www.travelmassive.com/events/travel-massive-asia-conference-2026-da-nang-3982452889)). Consistency, he admitted, is still something he struggles with after 17 years.
The transition from hobby to full-time is less about talent than commitment. Félix compared it to learning a new language: creators reach a point where they're comfortable but not yet confident enough to fully commit. The real shift is from talking about travel to running a business — learning marketing and SEO and figuring out how to grow income over time. A clearly defined niche helps, Kash added: creators who specialize, rather than flip-flop between topics, make it easier for both brands and Google to understand what they stand for.
2. Why the income gap is wider than you think
The survey revealed a wide income gap — roughly a third of U.S. creators earn under $5,000 a year, with a smaller cluster earning $75,000–$200,000 and up. What drives it, in Carae's view, is expectation: creators who assume $5,000 is their ceiling keep putting in exactly the effort that produces that result, while those who've cracked six figures skip the "middle" far faster than most people assume is possible.
Rates should start from your worth, not your fear of rejection. "Price for your worth and negotiate from there," Carae said. A brand that can't afford your rate will say so; a brand that can will often pay more than you'd have accepted anyway. Approach pricing with an abundance mindset.
3. Rethinking the "unpaid" press trip
An unpaid trip isn't automatically unpaid work. That was Matthew's take on the survey finding that around 20% of creators now refuse unpaid trips outright — a trip can become raw material for affiliate income, future paid brand work, or content resold to a publication. There's nothing wrong with a press trip when the destination or brand genuinely fits your niche, Kash agreed — it's about being strategic, not opportunistic.
Turning one down doesn't have to close the door, either. Carae shared how she declined an unpaid trip to New York because the travel cost didn't add up, but told the brand she'd be open to working together if she was ever in the area — leaving the door open for a future paid relationship.
4. Why affiliates are overtaking sponsorships
Affiliate income has overtaken sponsored content as creators' top monetization method, up 16% year-over-year. Félix traced the shift to the 2023 Google core updates, which hurt display-ad performance across the board and pushed ad revenue down industry-wide. Add tightening sponsorship budgets and stricter brand criteria — plus a real appeal of affiliates: they let creators write what they want instead of fulfilling brand deliverables. There are regional differences too, with French creators largely opposed to running ads and still leaning on destination sponsorships even as budgets shrink.
Article image #2
*Kash started his website in 2009 after [he lost his job](budgettraveller.org/about-me/). Now he's the boss of his own blog.*
The freedom is the real draw. Kash admitted he was slow to adopt ad networks like [Mediavine](www.mediavine.com) — only adding them seven years in — because affiliates don't tie you to sponsor deliverables. And they're accessible from the start: unlike premium ad networks, Carae noted, they don't require heavy traffic to begin earning.
5. Blogging's quiet comeback
Blogging is making a comeback after Google's "helpful content" updates cost some blogs up to 90% of their traffic. Kash and Félix both see the rebound, and Matthew suggested AI search is part of it: when AI assistants surface niche blog content (rather than short-form video) to answer travel questions, blogs gain renewed relevance.
6. Go deep, not wide
Article image #3
*Carae's travel blog features deep dives on destinations such as [the Philippines](girlonazebra.com/category/philippines/).*
Covering a single destination exhaustively signals expertise to Google in a way that scattered topics can't. Carae learned this the hard way — writing about unrelated destinations back to back, a hotel guide for Destin, Florida, followed immediately by one for London, which she believes confused Google about her site's topical authority and hurt her rankings. Her turnaround came when she went deep on one place: everything about Destin, from where to stay to the best beaches. That depth is what helped her start ranking.
7. Don't rely on one golden goose
Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Kash pointed to podcasting (citing [Gary Arndt](everything-everywhere.com) of *Everything Everywhere* as a blogger who pivoted successfully) and video — now a major income source for his brand. He also encouraged keeping freelance writing, video editing, or SEO skills as backup income rather than relying solely on one platform's "golden goose."
Long-form content keeps earning while you sleep. Carae made the case for blogging and YouTube as the best channels for long-term income: on a three-week trip to California, she didn't post or work at all yet kept earning from older blog and video content — a sharp contrast to TikTok and Instagram, where income stops the moment you stop posting.
8. Relationships and pitches that land
Personality and professionalism are a creator's best assets. In-person networking — travel conferences, [Travel Massive events](www.travelmassive.com/events) — has been central to Kash's success, and being personable often matters as much as being good at the work. His proof that relationship-building is a long game: landing a campaign eight years after the initial conference meeting.
But there's more than one path in. Carae has never attended a travel conference, and built her business through outbound outreach — contacting hotels and tourism boards ahead of her travels — and, increasingly, inbound inquiries as her search rankings grew. She acknowledged she's likely missed opportunities by not networking in person.
A winning pitch leads with proof, not enthusiasm. Carae emphasized data on clicks, rankings, and bookings over generic excitement for a destination. Originality and destination-specific research beat follower count, Kash added, pointing to his new project [Analog Weekends](www.analogweekends.com) (sponsored by Stay22) as a fresh idea that drew immediate positive brand feedback despite being new. And the language matters: creators need to talk about their work in marketing and B2B terms rather than personal passion, Félix noted, because brands increasingly focus on measurable returns.
9. Where AI actually helps
AI can't replicate authenticity from lived experience — but it's a powerful research assistant. Félix gave a mixed view: he called the trend of AI crawlers reducing traffic to original content "terrible," yet sees real value in using AI to identify underused niches and keywords, and to parse affiliate or Google Analytics data that would otherwise be tedious to compile by hand.
10. Hard-won advice for going full-time
Before quitting your day job, think about taxes. That was Carae's blunt first answer. Just as important, Kash advised, is not losing sight of why you got into the industry — he shared his own experience of burnout despite 17 years of loving the work, and encouraged creators to hold onto that sense of purpose through the hard stretches. Expect a "rollercoaster" of highs and lows, Carae added: success tends to go to those who adapt, treat setbacks as data, and keep pivoting based on what's working.
(Bonus) Smarter, more sustainable partnerships with Stay22
🚀 *Stay22 gives creators a smarter way to monetize travel content across blogs, websites, and YouTube. It offers quick setup, clear performance tracking, and a way to start earning without rebuilding the content you already have. [Sign up to Stay22](tmsv.co/stay22) and start monetizing your content.*
Audience Q&A
Thanks to everyone who sent questions and comments!
Question: Is there a minimum number of visitors/sessions to get started with Stay22?
Félix: Nope! We accept everyone, and none of our partnered merchants require pre-approval, so you can be up and running within minutes of signing up.
Question: Do most travel creators have blogs? What are the best platforms today (YouTube, blog, Substack, Instagram, TikTok)?
Félix: Even creators who primarily work on social platforms tend to keep a placeholder website, especially in travel. Social engagement is short-lived, while long-form content — blog and YouTube — lives on far longer and compounds over time when it's refreshed. Given the nature of travel, long-form is usually the best format for monetization.
Question: How many short-form vs. long-form channels can you realistically manage?
Carae: Start with one — don't stretch yourself too thin. Get one rolling, then add others. I grew my blog to over 250,000 monthly views with only 600 Instagram followers, and once I had steady blog income I could focus on growing Instagram. Pick whichever you're most passionate about first.
Félix: What Carae said. Quality over quantity — in my experience, the creators who earn the most don't spread themselves thin.
Comment (on monetizing newsletters) — *"there's a real moat around email that defends against algorithm and platform changes, and it's a great channel for affiliate marketing".*
Carae: I've started pushing all my readers to sign up for my newsletter, offering an authentic map of certain destinations to capture their emails. It's the best way to "beat" the algorithm or any update that could take you out — direct access to your audience is a game changer. Monetizing it can be tricky, though; the best way to earn from a newsletter is usually by offering a service or digital product. I'm still new to mine, so I'll be curious to see what it looks like in a year.
— A big thanks to Kash, Carae, Félix and Matthew for sharing their insights, and to our LIVE audience for watching. See you online at our next event!
*Download our free [Travel Creator Economy in 2026 Report](www.travelmassive.com/stay22/creators-2026-report) for insights from our global survey about how travel creators are earning, growing, and adapting in 2026 — drawn from 500+ responses across 56 countries.*
*👉 [Stay22](hub.stay22.com/en/referral/travelmassive/travel) helps creators monetize their content and free up their time. Install one simple script to your travel website and start earning.*
Really liked the insights from this chat. I'm glad to see that "blogging’s quiet comeback" is finally talked about too. Thanks for sharing!
Great to be part of this chat and to discuss what the future of travel content looks like. Thanks for the great roundup too!
I loved getting to hang out and discuss the blogging landscape, and I'm so excited to see what the future holds! Thanks for putting this together and having me!
Always a pleasure to share insights with the community and discuss emerging industry trends with top creators!
I'm Scott Laird, a technology and service delivery leader with more than 30 years of experience, and the co-founder of VoyagePro. I also help develop the ClearDue family of practical apps. I'm based in Elora, Ontario.
VoyagePro began with a simple question while I was planning a cruise:
"How busy will each port be when we arrive?"
I could find pieces of the answer, but only by hopping between websites. Port schedules lived in one place, ship details in another, cruise listings somewhere else. And even after all that digging, I still couldn't compare sailings side by side.
That got me thinking about the bigger problem. Cruise-planning information is scattered. Ships, ports, timetables, safety details, and itineraries are all out there, but they're rarely connected in a way that actually helps you make a decision.
We built VoyagePro to bring that research together. You can explore sailings, compare options, check ports and ship schedules, and keep your planning details in one place — displayed in a format that's easy to read, so the information does the work instead of you.
What started as a fix for my own planning frustration has grown into a long-term business for us. We plan to keep building VoyagePro, adding practical tools, and improving the site based on what travelers tell us they need.
⚓️ Try us out at voyagepro.io
It's still evolving, and I'd love to hear from cruise travelers and travel professionals who've run into the same problem.
What information is hardest for you to find when planning a cruise?
Hi Scott! I too am from Ontario. This is a great resource. As a Travel Advisor, these kinds of details can help me inform my clients. I'll be sure to try it out!
Thank you, Jasmin. We tried to develop a tool to help both Travel Advisors as well as those that self plan. We have gone to great length to ensure that we provide references for all the Port Content so all the information can be verified as needed. Any feedback you have would be appreciated.
Hey Scott!
I'd love to work together. Can we talk?
Alex
Sure! Feel free to DM me.
Vietnam's travel sector is booming, and its businesses are going global fast. But there's a hidden cost: every currency conversion, transfer, and foreign card fee quietly erodes margins — and many travel businesses lose 3–5% of revenue before they've even served a customer.
This is the "multi-currency squeeze," and it's exactly what [Airwallex](www.airwallex.com/vn-en), a global platform for multi-currency accounts, payments, and FX, was built to solve — turning financial infrastructure from a back-office cost into a competitive advantage that protects margins on every booking.
We spoke with [Nghiep Le](www.linkedin.com/in/nghiep-le-8a4426106/), Senior Manager and VN Commercial Lead at Airwallex. He explains the double conversion trap, how Global Accounts let travel businesses bank like a local in 20+ currencies, and how upgrading your financial stack can provide a real competitive edge.
Article image #0
*Nghiep Le, Senior Manager and VN Commercial Lead at Airwallex. Meet the team at [Travel Massive Asia Conference](www.travelmassive.com/events/travel-massive-asia-conference-2026-da-nang-3982452889) (21–22 August) and [HorexFex Vietnam](horecfex.com) (20–21 August) in Da Nang.*
#Multi-Currency Squeeze: Turning Cross-Border Growth Into Higher Margins
Travel Massive: Vietnam's travel and tourism sector is experiencing massive growth. As businesses look to capture this demand, what is the biggest hidden hurdle they face?
Nghiep Le (Airwallex): As travel businesses scale internationally, they hit a massive friction point — cross-border payment infrastructure.
Right now, a travel operator might receive a booking in USD or EUR, pay their international hotel suppliers in JPY or THB, and cover their local operational costs in VND. Operating across this fragmented, multi-currency environment using traditional banking systems leads to massive margin erosion. We constantly see travel businesses losing up to 3–5% of their revenue simply through hidden FX markups and exorbitant international transfer fees.
#The Double Conversion Trap That Makes You Pay Twice
Travel Massive: Why are traditional payment gateways and banks falling short for modern travel agencies and OTAs operating in Vietnam?
Nghiep Le (Airwallex): Traditional systems were not built for the modern, high-volume travel industry. The biggest issue is the "double conversion" trap. For example, if a Vietnamese travel agency uses a domestic gateway to collect payments from a European tourist, the funds are often forcibly converted from EUR to VND at a poor exchange rate. If that agency then needs to pay an airline or supplier in EUR, they have to convert the VND back to EUR.
Additionally, manually processing refunds, managing chargebacks, and reconciling thousands of fragmented transactions creates an absolute nightmare for finance teams in the back office. It creates cash-flow friction that stifles growth.
#How Airwallex Global Accounts Let You Bank Like a Local
Travel Massive: How does Airwallex fix these payment headaches for Vietnam's travel sector?
Nghiep Le (Airwallex): This is exactly why Airwallex exists. We are a global financial platform built to remove the friction from cross-border business. Think of us as your autonomous finance department that gives you local banking capabilities around the world.
Instead of relying on fragmented systems, Airwallex allows Vietnamese travel companies to open Global Accounts. This means you can instantly spin up local bank details in over 20 currencies — like USD, EUR, AUD, and SGD. When an international customer pays you, or an OTA platform settles your funds, you receive it directly in that currency like a local, completely bypassing forced conversions.
Article image #2
*Financial Infrastructure: Airwallex provides the ability to collect funds in 20+ currencies locally, avoiding unnecessary FX conversions and gateway fees.*
#Smarter Payouts With Direct Transfers and Virtual Cards
Travel Massive: How does Airwallex help them manage payouts to global suppliers?
Nghiep Le (Airwallex): Payouts are just as critical as collections. Once you hold those funds in your Airwallex account, you can pay your network of suppliers — whether it's international hotels, airlines, or local guides — directly from your multi-currency balance.
If you do need to convert currencies, you get access to interbank, market-leading FX rates. We also offer programmable virtual cards. Travel agencies can instantly issue a unique, single-use virtual card for a specific supplier payment. This not only speeds up the payment process and secures the transaction, but it makes tying each supplier payment to a specific customer booking incredibly easy.
Article image #3
*View [case studies from Airwallex](tmsv.co/airwallex) and learn about cost-effective global payouts and virtual cards.*
#Killing the 3% Foreign Transaction Fee on Ad Spend
Travel Massive: Aside from booking flows, travel companies also spend heavily on marketing and operations. Does Airwallex support this side of the business?
Nghiep Le (Airwallex): Absolutely. To acquire international customers, Vietnamese travel businesses spend heavily on performance marketing across Google, Meta, and OTA networks.
Travel companies can optimize ad spend by issuing corporate cards to pay for Meta, Google, and software in USD to avoid foreign transaction fees.
Using Airwallex's multi-currency corporate cards, businesses can pay for global ad spend directly from their USD balances without getting hit by the usual 3%+ foreign transaction fees charged by traditional corporate credit cards. It helps teams control their ad spend and drastically optimizes their return on ad spend (ROAS) during peak travel seasons.
#How Airwallex Helps Meetup Travel and Aravinda Save Up to 90% on Fees
Travel Massive: Do you have any examples of how this looks in practice for a Vietnamese travel brand?
Nghiep Le (Airwallex): Yes! Take our clients like [Meetup Travel](meetup.travel) or [Aravinda Travel](aravindatravel.com). By shifting their high-volume inbound and outbound transfers to Airwallex, they bypassed the heavy fees of domestic gateways. They leverage our Global Accounts to collect B2C and B2B payments frictionlessly, and use our platform for multi-currency payouts.
Article image #4
*[Meetup Travel](meetup.travel) is a fast-growing Vietnamese travel company that connects tourists with locals.*
The result? They drastically reduced their operational costs and maximized their profit margins on every single international booking. Across our portfolio, we regularly save clients up to 90% on payment fees compared to local alternatives.
#Financial Infrastructure Is Your Competitive Advantage
Travel Massive: What is the main takeaway you want readers to leave with?
Nghiep Le (Airwallex): My main message is this: you shouldn't have to sacrifice your hard-earned margins just to operate globally. As Vietnam's tourism sector scales, upgrading your financial infrastructure is no longer just a "nice to have" — it's a competitive advantage. If you want to stop losing money to FX markups, automate your reconciliation, and focus on delivering incredible travel experiences, come speak to the Airwallex team today.
— Thanks, Nghiep Le, for sharing your insights!
Ready to stop losing margins to hidden FX fees? [Sign up for Airwallex](tmsv.co/airwallex_signup) and start collecting in 20+ currencies, paying suppliers directly, and keeping more of every booking.
*A big thank you to [Nghiep Le](www.linkedin.com/in/nghiep-le-8a4426106/) and Airwallex for joining us. To dive into case studies and learn how Airwallex can help your travel business protect margins and scale globally, visit [airwallex.com](www.airwallex.com/vn-en) — or come meet the team at the [Travel Massive Asia Conference](www.travelmassive.com/events/travel-massive-asia-conference-2026-da-nang-3982452889) on August 21–22.*
*[Airwallex](www.airwallex.com/vn-en) is the leading global financial platform helping travel businesses, from OTAs to local DMCs, scale across borders without losing their margins to hidden banking fees. Travel companies can open accounts in 20+ currencies to collect from international tourists, then use those balances to pay global suppliers via direct transfers or virtual cards. By automating reconciliation and optimizing FX, Airwallex helps the tourism sector maximize profit on every booking.*
Thank you team Travel Massive for this great article. Looking forward to hosting the workshop and meeting everyone in the upcoming conference.
For more information about Airwallex and how it can benefit your travel business, visit: www.airwallex.com/global/solutions/travel
HERE'S THE NEXT 5 UPCOMING EVENTS:
Hello Toronto Travel Massive community,
Please join us for a casual summer social on the patio. Re-connect with old friends and acquaintances and meet new people from Toronto’s vibrant travel industry scene.
Please make sure your profile is completed and has:
• Your title and a brief bio that clearly describes what you do in the travel industry
• Website and social media links
• Your photo
Your profile is your business card, make it count.
💬 Join the conversation: @travelmassiveTO #TravelMassiveToronto
🎟️ Event registration: there is a maximum capacity, so make sure to register. If there is a waitlist, we would encourage you to still sign-up in case someone is no longer able to come. If there are any cancellations, 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 as that helps us verify attendees.
Always join the waitlist, cancelations happen, capacity can change.
👉 Please note:
* All guests must be registered to attend.
* No +1s please.
* Must be an active member of the travel industry to attend with an approved and updated profile on www.travelmassive.com. Please 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 might be photographed by a member of a Travel Massive team or/and our event partner. If you do not wish to be photographed, please let us know upon arrival.
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 pageWe're excited to be discovering the new 25Hours Hotel The Olympia. Join us for a social and networking evening with Sydney Travel Massive and friends. Expect a warm welcome from our host in The Mulwray, their late-night cocktail and wine bar and a site visit of the hotel.
🏨 Venue: The Mulwray, 25Hours Hotel The Olympia, Paddington
📍Location: 11 Oxford Street, Paddington (maps.app.goo.gl/DmGWwSJ35eivC53cA)
🗓️ Date: Thursday, 20th August 2026
🕕 Time: 6pm onwards
🪩 Dress Code: A little different from our usual, feel free to dress it up, think your stylish friend's living room
🥂 Welcome drink on arrival, charcuterie
🏨 About the venue: 25hours Hotels are quirky and sophisticated, The Olympia blends the charm of its art house theatre roots with modern design. The Mulwray is their late-night venue with low lighting, rich textures, and Sydney's best cocktail and wine selection.
👉 Spaces are limited, RSVP is essential
Looking forward to seeing you on Thursday August 20th
Link to event pageJoin Top Travel Innovators, Creators, and Marketers at Travel Massive Asia Conference 2026, in Da Nang, Vietnam on August 21-22.
Travel Massive Asia Conference 2026 will be hosted across two days in Da Nang (Friday 21st to Saturday 22nd August) with a focus on innovation, creation, and marketing in travel, featuring: expert-led workshops, industry panels, founder interviews, a startup pitch competition, tourism and creator masterclasses, and community activations.
See our full speaker lineup (updated 17 July) for 2026: www.travelmassive.com/posts/join-us-at-travel-massive-asia-conference-2026-updated-790035485
The Conference for Travel Innovation, Creation, and Marketing
Day 1 (Conference) will be hosted on the final day of HorecFex (20-21 August) — the premier technology event for the tourism and hospitality industry in Vietnam which attracts over 4,000 attendees including senior hospitality executives and features 80 exhibition booths from local and international vendors.
Day 2 (Masterclasses) will take place at Namia River Retreat, a five-star villa resort, wellness and meeting space in the historic town of Hoi An — a UNESCO World Heritage Site, featuring small-group tourism and creator masterclasses led by experts from the Travel Massive network, followed by an exclusive after party to celebrate two days of learnings and new connections.
🏝️ 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.
🇻🇳 Da Nang is the largest city in Central Vietnam and a regional hub for Vietnam's fast growing tourism market, which welcomed a record 21+ million international tourists in 2025 and is the 3rd largest travel destination in South East Asia. Vietnam's top inbound source markets include the United States, China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, India, and Russia.
👉 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.
🤩 This is your opportunity to learn from and meet with like-minded professionals and founders from across the tourism, hospitality, and online travel sectors in South East Asia and beyond. We look forward to welcoming you!
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Tickets and Registration
General Admission Tickets to Travel Massive Asia Conference 2026 Da Nang (21-22 August) are now available to purchase and includes entry to HorecFex Hospitality Exhibition and Forum (20-21 August). Some restrictions apply:
• Morning workshops on Day 1 are limited to 100 seats.
• Masterclasses on Day 2 are subject to group capacity and availability.
To secure your spot at Travel Massive Asia Conference 2026 Da Nang:
✅ Sign in to your Travel Massive profile, or create an account (it's free)
✅ Purchase a ticket using the "Buy Ticket" link on this event page
✅ Book your flights and accommodation to attend (see FAQ for tips)
Tickets are non-transferrable. You can get a full refund 30 days prior to the event.
FAQ: Where to stay / how to get there:
• Day 1 will be hosted at the Ariyana Convention Centre in Da Nang, Vietnam.
• Day 2 will be hosted in Hoi An town at Namia River Retreat.
• The official hotel is Furama Resort (a 10 minute walk to the convention centre).
• There are many hotel options nearby the convention centre and in Da Nang city.
• Fly direct to Da Nang International Airport (DAD) from international hubs including Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo, or transit via Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) or Hanoi.
• Bus and train from HCMC (Saigon) to Da Nang (allow a full day, at least).
• Get an Electronic Visa for Vietnam at evisa.gov.vn (for US and other citizens)
• We recommend to extend your stay to explore nearby sights and Central Vietnam!
Questions or need advice? Contact us at asia@travelmassive.com
Check out highlights from our 2025 conference: www.travelmassive.com/posts/photos-from-travel-massive-asia-conference-2025-in-da-nang-vietnam-401401759
Link to event pageTravel Massive and Airwallex invite travel industry professionals to join us for an evening of drinks, networking and new connections at HorecFex.
Join us on Friday, 21 August to meet travel industry leaders and innovators from across Vietnam and around the world who are joining us for the Travel Massive Asia Conference.
This networking event will wrap up Day 1 of the conference before we head to Hoi An for Day 2. It’s a chance to continue the conversations, connect with new people and celebrate the first day of the conference in a relaxed setting.
Cold craft beer is on us, proudly poured by 5 Elements Brewing Co., and the evening is made possible by our friends at Ariyana Convention Centre and Airwallex — the platform powering global payments for modern travel businesses.
Details:
Ariyana Convention Centre (Lobby)
📍 107 Võ Nguyên Giáp, Ngũ Hành Sơn, Đà Nẵng
🗓️ Friday, 21 August
⏰ 5:00–6:00 pm
🍷 Sponsored by Airwallex, Ariyana Convention Centre & 5 Elements Brewing Co.
👉 Spots are limited — RSVP now to save your place at Opening Night.
Airwallex is a global payments and financial platform built for businesses operating across borders, offering multi-currency accounts, international payments and modern financial infrastructure for companies worldwide. Learn more about Airwallex for travel businesses. Learn more at tmsv.co/airwallex
This networking event is free to attend for Travel Massive Da Nang members — please note that a ticket is required to attend HorecFex (20-21 August) and the full Travel Massive Asia Conference (21-22 August) program.
We look forward to welcoming you on 21 August!
— Ian & Natalya
Join Travel Massive Asia Conference (21-22 August)
The Travel Massive Asia Conference brings together founders, creators, operators and industry leaders for two days of talks, masterclasses and connection across Đà Nẵng and Hội An. Full access and one-day passes are available now — explore the full program, speakers and masterclasses for both days at travelmassive.com/asia.
See our full speaker lineup for 2026:
www.travelmassive.com/posts/join-us-at-travel-massive-asia-conference-2026-updated-790035485
After some time away, we're excited to welcome the Travel Massive Tokyo chapter back!
Join fellow Travel Massive members, creators, tourism professionals, and travel enthusiasts from across Japan and around the world for an evening of conversation, new connections, and fresh ideas. Whether you've been part of the community for years or are joining for the first time, this is a chance to meet like-minded people and help shape the future of Travel Massive in Tokyo.
We're also thrilled to welcome Travel Massive founder Ian Cumming, and Melbourne Travel Massive co-leader Casey Mead (100 UN Countries and global travel PR expert), who will be joining us in person to celebrate the chapter's return.
We'll be gathering at one of Tokyo's most creative gallery spaces, so grab a drink, enjoy some light bites, and help us kick off this new chapter together.
Details
📅 Date: September 2, 2026
🕒 Time: 5:00-7:00 pm
📍 Venue: UltraSuperNew KURA, 2 Chome-6-18, Higashi, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0011 kura.ultrasupernew.com
🎟️ Admission: FREE (Registration required)
🍻 🍽️ Food & Drinks: Drinks will be available for purchase at the bar, and light finger food will be provided. Voluntary donations to help cover venue costs are greatly appreciated.
Space is limited, so please register only if you're confident you can attend. If your plans change, kindly update your RSVP so someone else can take your spot. If you're bringing a guest, please include both names when registering.
👉 Click "Register" on this page to reserve your place.
We can't wait to see you there!
— Ally and Scott, Tokyo Travel Massive
Travel Massive Tokyo、ひさしぶりに集まりませんか？
お待たせしました！
しばらくお休みしていた Travel Massive Tokyo が、この9月にいよいよ帰ってきます。
旅行・観光業界の方はもちろん、クリエイターやメディア関係者、旅好きの皆さんまで。日本国内外からさまざまなメンバーが集まり、新しい出会いやアイデアが生まれる交流イベントです。
久しぶりの方も、今回が初参加という方も大歓迎！新しいつながりをつくりながら、Travel Massive Tokyoの新しい一歩を一緒にスタートしませんか？
当日は、Travel Massiveの創設者 Ian Cumming と、Travel Massive Melbourne 共同リーダーのCasey Meadも来日し、皆さんと交流します。
会場は、東京でもユニークなクリエイティブスペース UltraSuperNew KURA。
ドリンクを片手に、軽食を楽しみながら、旅を愛する仲間とのひとときを過ごしましょう。
開催概要
📅 日時：2026年9月2日（水）17:00〜19:00
📍 会場：UltraSuperNew KURA
東京都渋谷区東2-6-18
kura.ultrasupernew.com
🎟️ 参加費：無料（事前申込制）
🍻 ドリンク・軽食
ドリンクは会場のバーにて各自ご購入ください。軽食をご用意しています。
なお、会場運営費へのご協力として、任意のご寄付も歓迎しております。
お申し込みについて
会場の定員には限りがあります。ご参加が確定している方のみお申し込みいただき、予定が変更になった場合は、できるだけ早めに登録内容の更新をお願いいたします。
ご同行者がいらっしゃる場合は、お申し込みの際にお名前をご記入ください。
👉 ページ内の 「Register」 ボタンからお申し込みください。
皆さまとお会いできることを、心より楽しみにしています！
Ally & Scott
Travel Massive Tokyo Chapter Leaders
Looking for something to do over Labor Day weekend? Join fellow Travel Massive members for an exclusive afternoon networking and local history at the newly-refurbished Paris Theatre.
Originally built in 1890, the historic Paris Theatre has recently undergone an incredible transformation thanks to Chris and Fae Pink, the owners and founders of Can Can, and we have secured a behind-the-scenes look at their beautiful new space in Portland. In addition to its renewal as a premier Portland entertainment venue, the Paris Theatre now sits as the centerpiece of Pink Light District PDX, Portland’s latest community-led effort focused on revitalizing downtown and reinvigorating this iconic Portland neighborhood.
Enjoy a special tour of the historic Paris Theatre and hear from the team about Can Can, the Pink Light District and their plans for breathing new life into Portland’s entertainment and tourism industries. A no-host bar will be available in their charming courtyard for libations and mingling and as a special thank you, attendees of our event will receive an exclusive 15% discount for that evening’s 6:30 pm show (tickets available at the box office day-of).
We are thrilled to spend the afternoon together at Can Can’s Paris Theatre and we look forward to seeing you there!
Space is limited. Advance RSVP is highly encouraged. DM Kylie Curtis for questions.
Can Can's Paris Theatre
www.cancanportland.com/about
@cancanportland
Pink Light District PDX
www.pinklightpdx.org
@pinklightpdx
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