Nearly 9 years deep into figuring out what happens when you skip the tour bus and just connect a traveler with someone who actually lives there. That's what we do at Lokafy — private, one-on-one experiences with vetted locals in 300+ cities. I run operations and growth, which mostly means obsessing over how to make those connections feel effortless on both sides. Based in India, endlessly curious about how travel can create real human connection instead of just content.
Honestly, to get out of my own bubble. After 9 years building one thing, you start solving the same problems the same way. Want to hear how others in travel are thinking about authenticity, local partnerships, and what travelers actually want now not what they wanted in 2019. Also looking to connect with hotels, DMCs, and advisors who are tired of cookie-cutter add-ons.
Istanbul. A city where a stranger will invite you for tea and genuinely mean it. That's the energy we try to recreate at Lokafy.
Bhutan. The idea of a country that measures success by happiness instead of GDP feels like it has something to teach the rest of travel.
Lokafy has been my whole journey in travel. Joined early and built it from the ground up across operations, growth, and everything in between.
B2B travel partnerships (cruise lines, hotels, travel advisors), how other platforms are solving the retention and activation problem, and what's actually working for lifecycle marketing in travel right now.
Strangers. Stories. Tea.
It was fun to meet everyone