31 Jul 2017

Startup pitch: Tripalista wants to enable blink of an eye trip exploration

Tripalista is a trip planning startup that aims to offer inspiration for users via multi-destination itineraries.

The Berlin-based startup was founded a couple of years ago and launched been in development for a couple of years but only launched the site about a month ago.

Here’s a clip:

What problem does your business solve?

Planning and sharing multiple destination trips, is a chaotic task.

In order to gather and create content, you must use every travel tool separately. Most data is textual and scattered, causing users to waste valuable time and miss important information.

Tripalista focuses on multiple destination trips and empowers passionate travellers to explore, plan and share trips by connecting the main aspects of social travel into a simple and elegant interactive experience.

Names of founders, their management roles, and number of full-time paid staff?

Dana Raijman: co-Founder, development.

Dario Raijman: co-Founder, user interface & PR

Funding arrangements?

We are a self funded startup. Together we cover all the aspects of our product and can focus on it’s development.

Revenue model?

– Affiliates & Partnerships

We receive a certain percentage from traffic and bookings arriving via Tripalista.

This includes: hotels, flights, rental cars, and attractions.

– Provide analysed traveler behaviour and preferences

We have the ability to collect and analyse data effectively in order to increase sales.

– Premium tools for bloggers

Provide bloggers with custom tools to enrich their blogs and provide a better experience to their readers.

Why do you think the pain point you’re solving is painful enough that customers are willing to pay for your solution?

Tripalista is free for everyone. Today people find travel inspiration via word of mouth and social media.

Traditional travel inspiration players offer curated travel stories that are less relevant.

At the same time travel tools such as blogs and forums consist mainly of textual content and require a lot of effort to find relevant information.

Tripalista offers a visual and social travel platform that harmoniously links traveler maps, routes, stories, reviews and photos.

Tripalista is providing an easy way to explore trips in a blink of an eye.

Furthermore, we are developing a premium tool for bloggers that will enrich their blogs by allowing them to integrate their maps, photos, and more from Tripalista.

External validation?

We have launched a short while ago and are already in partnership with Booking.com.

We are creating new partnerships with other partners.

We have a steady growing number of visitors and contributors.

As co-founders we have more than 14 years experience in product development, and have travelled to more than 95 countries in four continents.

Tnooz view:

“Uh-oh a travel planning startup” is often the reaction when a new concept emerges addressing the inspiration stage of the market.

Why? Because it’s really hard to reach any scale and lots of that social stuff is already covered off on Facebook.

Enter Tripalista which brings maps, images and blog content to the table as well as the social element. It’s still early days for the startup and getting more content up should be a priority.

The site looks decent and the multi-destination take on trip planning is nice but you’re left wanting more.

There are many views on travel inspiration and planning such as “Why you should never consider a travel planning startup” and some have mooted the point that maybe the process doesn’t need technology.

Then there’s the more positive “How a trip planning startup can succeed” which aims to deflect some of the naysayers.

But, the reality is many have gone by the way side – think Epiclist and Bucket – acknowledging what went wrong along the road.

Tripalista’s partnership with Booking.com is a good start as is its steady increase in visitor number and contributors.

The team’s background in product development is also a plus as it means the focus will hopefully be on the process.

We’ll be watching and wishing them luck. It’s always encouraging to hear developments and success stories.