Day: August 13, 2019

The Future Of Travel: “I envision we’ll have communities of like-minded travelers getting…

The Future Of Travel: “I envision we’ll have communities of like-minded travelers getting notifications of a few trips each week that are a perfect fit for them” with Ryland King and Candice Georgiadis

In the next five years I envision we’ll have communities of like-minded travelers getting notifications of a few trips each week that are a perfect fit for them. It will be like a social media feed, but for actual trips.

As part of my series about “exciting developments in the travel industry over the next five years”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ryland King, Founder & CEO of Surf Trip List. As CEO, Ryland oversees growth, partner and customer relations and product across Surf Trip List’s US footprint. Prior to founding Surf Trip List in 2018, Ryland founded an environmental education nonprofit, Sprout Up, where his work was recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative, VH1’s Do Something Awards and Forbes Top 12 Do-Good Entrepreneurs Under 25.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

This career path started from a simple question — “Where should I take my son on a surf trip?” I grew up surfing, and I’m asked questions like this all the time. But this time was different. It was my girlfriend’s aunt asking me and I had to perform, you know? 🙂 I started asking her questions like, “US or International?”, “Big resort or boutique hotel?”, etc. She starting telling me her preferences about the location and kept mentioning that she also wanted a cheap flight… And that’s when it hit me: What if, instead of wasting hours looking for the perfect trip and not finding one, she could get alerts that match her preferences anytime a flight deal came out to a destination.

From that moment on, that’s what I’ve been building.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

When I started Surf Trip List, I had no clue how to make any of it happen. But I wanted to get something out fast. It didn’t matter how good or bad it was, just that I made something. So I built a spreadsheet for the first 2 days. I then built that into a Squarespace site without any code over the next 5-days. (I wrote about those first 7 days here.)

Once that was out and I saw a good response, I knew I needed something more flexible than a Squarespace site. I started asking my engineering friends how I could learn to code. There basic answer was “Just Google ‘How to build a website’ and start.” So that’s literally what I did.

My friends thought I was a maniac. And to be honest, so did I at some points. But after a few months I was able to build a solid minimum viable product and really test out the idea. A few months ago, I was able to bring on two senior engineers who, beyond being akin to the idea, were inspired to come on board because I had coded the whole thing on my own.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Last year I went to take my first surf trip using the service. I made this whole big speal about it on social media hoping to get people excited about our first trip. I made my way to the airport, walked to the desk agent and she told me, “I’m sorry, but it looks like your flight left yesterday.” All I could do was laugh. I had shown up a day late and completely missed my flight. It was pretty embarrassing to post to everyone that the first trip using the service didn’t even make it past the bag-check line, but I think they appreciated the honesty.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

We stand out because we: 1. Breakdown the barrier to entry, 2. Personalize the itinerary, 3. Optimize the planning process, and 4. Lower the cost all for a very niche audience.

For example, a few months back one of our first members found us while searching the internet for family surf adventure trips. Instead of spending hours searching Google and not knowing which surf camps and areas to go to she just told our algorithm: “I want `beginner waves` in `Central America` `between May and August` with a place to stay for `less than $125/night.`”

A few weeks after joining our membership she got jumped on one of our cheap flight alerts to Costa Rica for $297 round trip, and stayed with our partner, Witchs Rock Surf Camp in front of amazing beginner waves in Tamarindo.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”? Can you share a story about that?

In college, I founded an environmental education non-profit that grew incredibly fast. In five years it went from just an idea in my head to managing over 200+ college student volunteers in five cities throughout California.

I worked insane hours for years. So much so that my I was gifted office supplies by my parents on my 23rd birthday. A few months after that I hit burnout and had a massive breakdown.

I went through counseling, got my degree (which I had written off) and realigned my life. I wouldn’t give any part of the journey up, but boy have I dealt with burn out.

The most helpful thing I do today to help with burnout is to have a checklist of “To do”s and “Won’t do”s. What’s in each category constantly changes as each day develops. I like to think the “won’t do” list is almost more important than the “to do” list. 😉

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

This list is endless for me. I feel so fortunate to have worked with such amazing people over the last 10 years. If I was to pick one it would be my co-founders from Sprout Up — Nick and Tanya. Both of them took a huge bet on my idea when I was 19. They were both better than me in countless ways (and probably still are) and their work ethic pushed me so far in such a short time. Beyond that they are amazingly kind and genuine humans. Without them, I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today. Thank you, guys!

Let’s jump to the core of our discussion. Can you share with our readers about the innovations that you are bringing to the travel and hospitality industries?

Surf Trip List’s membership model is personalizing and massively lowering the cost of surf travel. We take in exactly what our members want out of surf trip — skill level, activities, region and cost. In return our members immediately get deal access to all of our hand-selected beachfront stay partners, and begin getting alerts anytime we find a flight deal to a location that matches their trip preferences. We also don’t take any commission from our partners. Instead, we pass those savings to our members who save over $300 on an average trip for just $29/yr.

Which “pain point” are you trying to address by introducing this innovation?

So many people love adventure travel, but they 1. Don’t know where to go, 2. Hate how much it costs to get there, and 3. Can’t stand how much research and planning is necessary. We take care of all of that and package it up into a few high quality email alerts each week. All that’s left for our members to do is pick the trip they want to take!

How do you envision that this might disrupt the status quo?

The normal adventure trip today is booked through a commission-based travel agency. That’s an issue because they are making 10–15% when you book your trip.

With us you pay a small yearly membership at $29/yr. In return we give that 10–15% commission back to you, and you save an average of $150 on a week-long stay at one of our hand-picked beachfront stay partners. Beyond that, we also send you cheap flight alerts on full-service airlines so you know you’re getting the best flight possible too.

If you take one trip a year, it’s completely worth it, and most adventurous people are itching to take at least one trip per year.

Can you share 5 examples of how travel and hospitality companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to travel?

In the next five years I envision we’ll have communities of like-minded travelers getting notifications of a few trips each week that are a perfect fit for them. It will be like a social media feed, but for actual trips.

You are a “travel insider”. How would you describe your “perfect vacation experience”?

My perfect vacation experience would be arriving at a warm-water surf destination where the waves are going off. I stay on the sand, right in front of the waves and pick up a quality surfboard so I don’t have to fly with one. Once there, it’s relaxing with friends and family and surfing 4–5 hours a day. Let’s go!

Can you share with our readers how have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

In 2015 one of my previous staff members reached out to me about bringing 100% energy-free, safe drinking water systems to developing communities in need. In the three years since, he’s created a nonprofit, Gravity Water, and has grown it from an idea to providing over 10,000 school-children in Nepal with self-sustaining, clean drinking-water with nearly $100,000/yr in annual revenue. I’ve Chaired the Board during this time and like to think that some of my past experiences and advice have been a part of their accomplishments.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

Smile at one stranger each day.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

I share the ups and downs of growing Surf Trip List almost everyday on my Twitter @rylandking. Feel free to follow along!

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

The Future Of Travel: “I envision we’ll have communities of like-minded travelers getting… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future Of Travel: “Hotels really need to think about removing their tour desks and start…

The Future Of Travel: “Hotels really need to think about removing their tour desks and start working with third party providers that can enable seamless experiences” with Deniz Tekerek and Candice Georgiadis

General experiences — I believe that the number of people deciding on in-destination experiences after they arrive will stay steady, so hotels really need to think about removing their tour desks and start working with third party providers that can enable seamless experiences when it comes to selecting and booking an experience.

As part of my series about “exciting developments in the travel industry over the next five years”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Deniz Tekerek, a co-founder of Portier Technologies, a technology startup focused on the hotel and hospitality industry. Prior to founding Portier Technologies, Deniz worked in senior positions across the technology sector and also ran a small e-commerce startup, while studying for a master’s degree at the University of Leeds in the UK. While Portier Technologies is US-based, the main focus of the company is Asia, where Deniz spends most of his time and gets to travel across the region on a regular basis.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I was always very interested in the hotel industry, given the involvement of some of my family members in the hotel business. Essentially, I have always believed in the magic of hotels and in the idea that people like a hotel concierge could genuinely “unlock” a city for you. In many ways, a hotel is the most unique entry point to a city. In that sense, I don’t really buy into the idea that a hotel has to feel like home; I think a hotel will always be a special place that provides some of the most intriguing memories. With Portier Technologies, the approach from day one was that we can amplify that magic.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

If I was to pick the most interesting thing that happened to me since running this company, it’s probably something not directly related to the hotel or travel sector, but more to do with fundraising for our startup. One particular week I remember sent me across five countries in five days, just to meet potential investors that showed a strong interest in our company. It’s not so much the work-related element that was interesting, but mostly the power of the mind to digest five different cultures in such a short time period. To note, these were countries spread across Asia and were distinctly different from one another, so I found it fascinating as to how used I really am to “digesting” new places so quickly, that it takes me minutes to work out local transport, food and nuances. At the same time, it was an emotional warning sign to not move too fast.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Not sure if funny is the best way to describe this, but when we first started, we were clearly not the most educated when it comes to fundraising from people, so we randomly met people that “had money”. I personally flew across NYC, LA, SF, Europe and Asia, just to meet people and companies that might be remotely interested in our solution, so we ended up burning a lot of time traveling around the globe for investment. What we learned was that, as in dealing with clients, relationship building is a key factor for success, so we started making geographically focused commitments in fundraising, and things have significantly improved since.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

I think that we’re a genuine team that stays grounded, in order to ensure the biggest possible success for ourselves and our partners. While it’s easy to get distracted by big buzzwords in the world of startups, we always want to make sure that we actually deliver value to our clients by producing features that are immediately relevant. As a group of people, our egos are very much parked. To give you an example, we ride around towns in Vietnam in suits on rented scooters, when we’re attending appointments, and we don’t shy away from any type of potential hardship to get things done.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”? Can you share a story about that?

When you work in the hotel industry, likelihood is that you’ll have to but also get to travel a lot. If you focus more on the “have to”, you’ll stop appreciating the amount of work that goes into hotels, in order to make them such special places. You’ll also stop appreciating the beauty of the destinations you get to discover. I’d say that being in this industry allows us to experience places that might be a once-in-a-lifetime event for many, so the focus should always be on the “get to”. This is something I particularly witnessed at The Siam hotel in Bangkok, where every single staff member seems incredibly grateful to be working at a property that is so unique — this is something you feel every time you interact with staff there.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

First of all, I don’t feel as though we’re at a point at which we can talk about achievements yet. Having said that, I am very grateful to my co-founder Mark for being pretty much the same person during highs and lows of our project, which enabled both of us to never give in to any doubts. At the same time, I’m incredibly grateful to my wife, my family and friends for being my personal backbone.

Let’s jump to the core of our discussion. Can you share with our readers about the innovations that you are bringing to the travel and hospitality industries?

The greatest innovation that we’re striving to bring to the hotel sector is simplicity by grouping. Our solution is designed to look at the guest and hotel staff as a combined entity — we believe that guest-facing products should not be treated as an isolated element. In that sense, via our connected smartphones, we don’t only focus on the guest and his/her needs, but we’re a one-stop-shop for both hotel staff and hotel guests. In practice, one of the features that symbolizes this is our chat — the chat includes a “back-office” portion that enables hotel staff to incorporate any direct engagement with a guest into their daily servicing routine, in order to address issues faster and more effectively.

Which “pain point” are you trying to address by introducing this innovation?

We’re making it easier for the guest to ask for help and we’re simplifying the way in which hotel staff deal with providing such help. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Essentially, we’re an engaging combination of all travel and hotel needs in a single place, which removes barriers to entry for people who hate the idea of downloading new apps for a single purpose. In simple terms, our solution addresses any travel pain point, from ordering a cocktail from the pool area to being connected while exploring the city, so travelers can simply focus on arriving at their room and don’t worry about or plan anything else.

How do you envision that this might disrupt the status quo?

We’ve already seen some incredible success. Our hotel partners are generating more income from each guest. The guests are more satisfied with their travel and hotel experience, as everything gets done better and faster. I think that our approach “disruption” is consolidation — putting the most critical travel needs in a single place. I think that we’ll see more companies moving in a direction that doesn’t simply do one thing.

Can you share 5 examples of how travel and hospitality companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to travel?

1. Chinese millennials — there’s been a global approach to Chinese travelers that focused on spending on luxury goods and very much a mass approach. The Chinese traveler is already a lot more sophisticated than that, and rather than jumping on that bandwagon, travel companies and hotels will have to offer the same special experiences that might be relevant to the American or European millennial.

2. Technology — I think there’s going to be a big reversal in terms of type of technologies that companies will invest in. A robot is cool, but does it really drastically change things at a hotel? AR and VR are buzzwords, and hotel executives are quick to go for it, but the tech’s validity for hotels in particular, is extremely questionable.

3. Feel like home — this might be a more personal view, but more and more hospitality companies promote the idea that travelers want to “feel like home”. Why do they travel then? Isn’t a hotel stay an escape from the day-to-day? I think this area could see some reversal.

4. General experiences — I believe that the number of people deciding on in-destination experiences after they arrive will stay steady, so hotels really need to think about removing their tour desks and start working with third party providers that can enable seamless experiences when it comes to selecting and booking an experience.

5. Payments — this is an area of technology that’s underdeveloped across the likes of the US and Europe. I think hospitality companies will have to invest in mobile payments that have global relevance, so a restaurant experience can become seamless and less frustrating, even across borders and languages.

You are a “travel insider”. How would you describe your “perfect vacation experience”?

My perfect vacation experience would include spending time with locals that are of a similar age and could be seen as my equivalent in the country that I’m visiting. I don’t define a genuinely local experience as something like visiting an old tribe in village. To me, a local experience means to do as the locals do — eat at restaurants that match the local taste buds, go to bars that locals like to go to and more. So in that sense, a great experience would be to be paired up with locals and explore the destination through their eyes.

Can you share with our readers how have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I don’t think that I’m influential enough for something very significant yet. For now, I like the idea of sharing my contacts and experiences with people who are going through the same struggles, so they don’t have to experience the negatives of my steep learning curve.

I would ask company founders to buy and donate a new and usable football (soccer ball) each to a group of kids they saw playing while on holiday. Just go to the nearest sports store and buy these kids a new ball.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

I’m mostly active on LinkedIn and occasionally post from my travels on Instagram (dnzteker). You can also look for me on Medium.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

The Future Of Travel: “Hotels really need to think about removing their tour desks and start… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Future Of Travel: “Focus on promoting responsible tourism which helps local people, and…

The Future Of Travel: “Focus on promoting responsible tourism which helps local people, and protects the environment” with Galena Stavreva and Candice Georgiadis

Travel is about rejuvenation, adventure, fulfillment, learning new skills, and ‘being more of who you are.’ It is no longer just ticking off places and things and flopping in the sun. The tourism industry needs to start offering more complete experiences and to focus on promoting responsible tourism which helps local people, and protects the environment. Along with enjoying paradise, you can learn about the poverty the local people live in, and be educated about ways you can help. I also think that more and more travel providers will start allowing name changes for their reservations, so that their users can sell them on if they can’t go. Travellers are starting to expect this service as part of the good customer service experience.

As part of my series about “exciting developments in the travel industry over the next five years”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Galena Stavreva, the CEO of SpareFare.net. SpareFare is a secure secondary marketplace for flights, hotel rooms and package holidays. Travel is great, and SpareFare’s marketplace is all about turning the less fun parts of it — such as cancellations — into new deals that improve the status quo for everyone.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I started my career as a corporate solicitor in London, working for a busy American law firm. I had to cancel several holidays due to work commitments and was unable to find anyone to sell my flight and hotel reservations to.

I saw the need for a reliable platform that provides the opportunity for people to resell their travel reservations. So I created SpareFare with two other co-founders.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

The most interesting story is about one of our first sales. The seller’s name is Rob, and he is from London.

Rob had recently broken up with his girlfriend and was left with a £3,000 romantic holiday in a five-star resort in Spain. He’d bought the romantic package, complete with silky sheets and couples massages. Rob couldn’t take his mom or sister on a vacation like this, and his male friends refused to go.

Luckily, he was able to sell the flights and hotel to a couple who’d recently gotten married but were unable to afford a fancy honeymoon.

It was a total win-win situation. Rob was able to save money and receive good karma by helping a fellow traveller along the way. The newlyweds were able to go on an amazing trip. I felt like, by providing this service and platform, I was able to make a tangible difference in the lives of three people. For the first time in my life, my job had a real purpose.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

It doesn’t matter what you want; it matters what the customer wants! When we started SpareFare we researched everything so thoroughly. We checked all terms and conditions of all airlines, calculated all possibilities and all variables. Being a lawyer, I needed to know everything from the start. And I thought that users would want to know all of that, too. I was wrong — people wanted to sell their flight as quickly as possible, ideally without reading too much information! This taught me to do user testing at the beginning for every little change we introduce. We all make mistakes, but what separates the great entrepreneurs from the mediocre ones is that the great ones don’t repeat the same mistakes. So I am trying not to repeat that mistake again! Instead, I’ll go on to making new mistakes.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

At SpareFare, we believe that no experience should go wasted. So, we try to salvage all holidays, flights and hotel stays which would go unused otherwise. I am a great proponent of reducing and eliminating waste where possible. I always bring a bag with me when I shop to avoid using a new plastic bag every time. I squeeze every last bit of lotion or shampoo by unscrewing the cap or cutting through the container with scissors. And the thing with annoys my husband most — I add water to the last few drops of hand soap to make sure we’ve used as much of it as possible.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”? Can you share a story about that?

There is no magic trick which will stop someone from burning out. You have to work less, sleep more, and give fewer f*cks. When you are just starting out everything seems very important and extremely urgent. In retrospect, it rarely ever is. Learning how to prioritize is important, but even more so is learning how to say “no” to new ideas which do not contribute directly to your main goals and meetings which waste your time.

Let’s jump to the core of our discussion. Can you share with our readers about the innovations that you are bringing to the travel and hospitality industries?

SpareFare.net connects people who have bought flights, holiday packages or hotel rooms but can no longer use them, with people seeking discounted travel options. By transferring their booked non-refundable reservations to SpareFare buyers, sellers can partially or fully recover the money paid for the trips, while buyers get a true discount of up to 50–60% of the original price. We offer fraud protection for both the buyers and the sellers.

Which “pain point” are you trying to address by introducing this innovation?

Millions of people lose money on their unused travel bookings every year because they are not aware of any safe and hassle-free ways to resell their reservations. Unfortunately, many people are still not aware that many non-refundable flights and all hotel reservations are transferable. We see the ‘non-refundable’ on our tickets and assume we have no other option.

In reality, many airlines and hotels allow their customers to change the name of the passenger so that the reservation can be sold to another traveller, and the seller will be able to recover some of the money.

How do you envision that this might disrupt the status quo?

We are on a mission to make things better for the traveller and to create a new type of shared economy in travel. SpareFare turns many non-refundable reservations into refundable ones! This makes travelling cheaper for everyone. The sellers are able to recover some of the cost of their reservations, making cancelled trips less of a hassle. And buyers have a whole new supply of genuinely discounted holiday bargains. Travel providers like hotels and airlines can also take advantage of the secondary market from improved customer satisfaction, occupancy rates and increased revenues. It truly is a win-win situation for everyone.

Can you share 5 examples of how travel and hospitality companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to travel?

Travel is about rejuvenation, adventure, fulfillment, learning new skills, and ‘being more of who you are.’ It is no longer just ticking off places and things and flopping in the sun. The tourism industry needs to start offering more complete experiences and to focus on promoting responsible tourism which helps local people, and protects the environment. Along with enjoying paradise, you can learn about the poverty the local people live in, and be educated about ways you can help. I also think that more and more travel providers will start allowing name changes for their reservations, so that their users can sell them on if they can’t go. Travellers are starting to expect this service as part of the good customer service experience.

You are a “travel insider”. How would you describe your “perfect vacation experience”?

I have been very fortunate to go on a lot of trips to different countries. My perfect vacation is somewhere hot with a mix of lazy days on the beach, adventures and talking to local people to learn more about their way of life.

Can you share with our readers how have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I believe that helping other people is the best way to stay happy. Right now I am time-poor, unfortunately, but I am able to support some of my favorite charities with regular monthly donations. I support two animal charities which help stray dogs, a wonderful organisation called 1% Change which brings positive change to many people’s lives and Unicef.

Loneliness is a big problem affecting many people in society and with far-reaching physical and mental implications. There are some groups of people who are more likely to be affected than others and I have always though that these groups can help each other if someone can help them to get started. Elderly people can teach kids without parents how to read and write. Orphanages still exist in many countries, and these kids do not receive much individual attention or love. The older people will gain just as much as they will give. There are dogs in shelters in desperate need for walks, socialising and a little love. The same elderly people and children can literally transform a dog’s life if someone arranges transport to the shelter for them. And the dogs will give them so much love and affection in return. Other people who also feel lonely and cut-off from society would be welcome to join in the activities. Connecting the right groups of people and organising something very simple for them seems to me like a very easy way to positively impact the lives of many people.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

You can stay up-to-date with our deeply discounted holidays and free giveaways by searching SpareFare on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

The Future Of Travel: “Focus on promoting responsible tourism which helps local people, and… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.