TripZillaRemember the days when travel agents, sandwiched into dingy offices with telephones virtually glued to their skulls, actually booked flights and hotels? And when word-of-mouth recommendations and sexy magazine articles (perish the thought!) determined one’s itinerary rather than Trip Advisor?
Such memories are fleeting, no doubt. The era of the DIY traveler—one who plans and books his own adventure through Zuji or Agoda—is here, and the need for a more local, customizable travel experience is here too.
With smartphones and tablets being so pervasive, travel companies tried to reach their audience with a slew of apps and mobile-optimized sites. Winnie Tan, founder of travel website TripZilla.com, says people have come to expect instant booking and information on the go. Booking sites, for instance, have been wildly successful, she says.
“On the other hand, trip planning, location based maps and discovery apps that started with a bang did not quite achieve the success that travel companies were hoping for. Apps for individual airlines or travel brands also often fail to gain popularity as not many travelers will use a specific airline/hotel chain frequently enough to warrant the need to download an app for just that brand,” Tan says.
Read the full article on Inc
