At MyTravelMoney.co.uk, we love coming across new and useful web apps for travel. More importantly, we particularly love stumbling across ones which solve a big problem in the travel industry. Enter TravelSpinner.com.
Our verdict 5/5: TravelSpinner.com tackles the problem of travel search fatigue, acting as key matchmaker between holidaymakers and the RIGHT travel companies. Say goodbye to heavy push marketing travel search, dodgy photos and opaque reviews!
Below is some of the best bits of our interview with co-founder’s Ed & James
Great concept, what was the inspiration for Travelspinner.com?
Ed: The inspiration was online dating we think, though it came out of a late-night conversation in a pub so it’s all quite hazy. We figured there was so much ‘noise’ out there if you’re searching for a holiday, and decided that what people need is a super-efficient and honest site that connects them to the best travel companies for their particular trip. So we decided to build what we call an ‘intelligent email’ system that does just that, without any profiles, sexy pictures or user reviews. And with only a few questions to answer – it’s as lean as we could make it.
What problem are you trying to solve?
James: Online Search Fatigue. The fact that people are spending so much time searching, and not necessarily getting what they want – while all the while we’d know which companies they should be speaking to. We’re trying to get our knowledge out there in a new way – enabling people to tap into our ‘little black book’, as if they were asking us questions face-to-face (which, like doctors, we get quite a lot at dinner parties).
Ed: And we hope we address the trust issue too. We’ve built a travel search engine that has no interest in whether you book or not, or who you book with. Its results are unbiased. All we want to do is put you in touch with the three best companies for your trip. That’s it.
How far down the track are you. What stage is the site at the moment?
James: We launched in April and the concept, which is a bit unusual for the net, is bedding in. The tour operators understand how it works now. It’s still early days, but the search and match side is working well and the brand is gradually crystallizing.
Ed: We’re taking it very slowly – lots of websites launch with a huge fanfare then vanish. We want to grow organically.
What has been the initial user feedback?
Ed: Generally people seem to like the simplicity of Travelspinner – the fact that it’s very stripped down and we’re not throwing yet more content and pictures and reviews at them. And that there’s no log-in so no passwords to remember. People love that!
What has been the initial travel company feedback from partners?
Ed: Some ‘got it’ immediately. Others took some time to understand it. It seems to depend very much on the personalities of the individuals at the companies – friendly companies seem to like us! Some companies are more friendly than others, we discovered very quickly.
What is your favourite travel destination?
James: I’ve been writing about the Caribbean for 25 years and I’m not bored of it yet. Haiti is the most compelling country, Jamaica has a fantastic vibe and Anguilla is ultra cool and has truly fantastic beaches, but I have always loved Nevis for its miniature beauty and its unutterable calm and charm – the Caribbean as it used to be, they say.
Ed: Turkey. It just has so much to offer – a picture-perfect coastline, amazing history, good food and increasingly good wines!
What is the worst place you have travelled to and why?
Ed: Dangerous cities annoy me – ones where you feel you can’t walk around safely. Maybe Nairobi in Kenya or Port Hagen in Papua New Guinea (though the rest of PNG is wonderful). When a hotel looks more like a high-security facility, you know you’re in trouble.
James: As a traveller I Iove that feeling that something wonderful or compelling might happen around the corner (even in ‘difficult’ places), so the worst is when I find I’m uninspired. The Mississippi springs to mind.
What are the next priorities for Travelspinner.com?
Ed: Hopefully get some investment. We think we have the beginnings of a really attractive travel brand, and there’s potential to build on our core service of matching travellers to companies. We could add loads more features.
James: We’re in the legwork phase of any start-up, the hard work to make sure that the site is working well, that the brand is establishing itself and that people know what we do and trust us. We’re continually adding companies – there are lots of good companies out there, all around the world. So, graft…
Greatest achievement to date?
Ed: Getting a score of four out of five in our Mail Online review after being live for just six weeks. For such a new – and tiny! – site, we felt that was great going.
James: Given that I never normally think about money (… !) I was amazed that after four months, including a pretty quiet August when apparently the entire country was either already on holiday or watching the Olympics, Travelspinner had pushed business worth £1 million to its tour operators.
How do you buy your travel money?
James: I usually buy at the bank the day before, but then I have to order two days before that and I sometimes forget… I use my credit card occasionally – eeek!
Ed: I have to admit I just use ATMs when I’m abroad. Which is silly of me, as HSBC insist on putting a block on my card even if I’ve told them where I’m going to be. I must have spent tens of thousands of pounds phoning them from abroad to let me take money out…
Thank you very much guys, and from the whole team at MyTravelMoney.co.uk, we wish you the best of luck!
