travel tech insights

There’s been something of an arms race during the last few years in the travel industry as travel companies seek new, exciting, and innovative ways to invigorate customer engagement and relations leveraging technology as a method to reach more people more quickly. With an eye to technological advancements at all touch points in the value chain - from customer service to operations and planning - the name of the game in the last 5 to 10 years has been streamlining ways of managing the communication of products and services for the good of the travel company and customer alike.    

The next time you’re at your local supermarket, take a moment and look around at the checkout lines. Sure, you’ll see your standard POS set-up, cashiers, and baggers, but what you’ll probably also notice a handful of self-serve check-out lanes where shoppers have the capability to scan, bag, and pay for their items without the assistance of a store employee.

These kiosks have seen a huge growth in popularity during the last few years - particularly in large chain retailers like Walmart, Target, and others - for the speed, efficiency, and convenience they offer consumers in the ability to customize and control their shopping experience from the moment they enter the store to the moment they exit.

GetYourGuide, a young travel company founded in 2009, made a splash in travel industry news last week with the announcement of a $50 million investment by KKR, a prominent NYC-based investment company.  For new travel company entrepreneurs – or those in any industry, for that matter – GetYourGuide has all the hallmarks of a Cinderella story: humble students working through the night, unaware they’re on the brink of creating a multi-million dollar company.  Not long ago this blog had a post that relates to the GetYourGuide story, “Top Start-up Tips for the Travel Industry”.  Accordingly, this announcement provides a great opportunity to see how well this Cinderella story validates our travel start-up guidance in the areas of: value; planning and attitude.