Martijn Dekker , Natalie Glebova , Yann Gouriou and Bjorn Harvold
TRAVELIKO
If you ’ re reading this article , there ’ s a good chance you ’ ve recently used one of the giant , global online travel agencies ( OTAs ) that newly-launched Traveliko is determined to tackle . OTA websites , such as Agoda and Expedia , take a sizable cut of hotel profits , making it more difficult not only for hotels to earn money but just to run their businesses in the first place . Since most travelers book through OTAs , hotels have little choice but to advertise accommodation through them , even though by doing so they sign away a substantial portion of their potential revenue .
The heart of online portal Traveliko , therefore , is ensuring the best booking environment for both customers and hoteliers . Founded by Yann Gouriou , Bjorn Harvold and Martijn Dekker , Traveliko aims to level the playing field between travelers , hotels and big online travel agencies ( OTAs ), while promoting ethical , value-added travel . The company ’ s brand ambassador is public speaker and entrepreneur Natalie Glebova , who is well-known for her title as Miss Universe 2005 .
Traveliko offers hoteliers and their customers an independent and much more affordable alternative to traditional OTAs . The company is currently establishing relationships with hotels by asking for only a 10 percent commission , which , Traveliko founders say , is up to 50 percent less than the most dominant OTAs charge for their services .
“ Surprisingly few customers are aware that the hotels they see on the first page of a search , when using one of the big OTAs , are not necessarily the hotels that would fit them best . They are simply hotels that are commercially more interesting and more profitable to the OTA ,” explains Bjorn Harvold .
Harvold is excited about the future of Traveliko : “ Because of the money they ’ ll be saving , tons of hotels are eager to sign up with us , and we will be adding more and more hotels as time goes on ,” he says .
The hotel booking platform hopes to help make the world a better place , too , by partnering with Socialgiver in Thailand as well as UNICEF and WWF . When customers book with Traveliko , they ’ ll have the option of allocating a donation to a charity they feel strongly about , choosing from the categories of animals , people , or the planet . With Traveliko , it seems that everyone stands to benefit .
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What all of these businesses have in common is that they ’ re some of the most recent and keyed-in businesses of the evolving travel industry . As we move further away from prepackaged tours , these entrepreneurs and others working in the tourism industry will need to remain vigilant of and sensitive to travelers ’ changing needs , wishes and desires .
The majority of modern travelers want to know more , experience more , and feel more deeply connected to the places they ’ re visiting . It seems that 21 st -century travelers are figuring out that just seeing the world , in whatever generic or predetermined way available , is not enough to understand it .
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