August 26, 2024
Travly is a social-first platform that combines hotel booking with trip discovery, where travelers can find inspiration from short-form video content. Instead of depending on out-of-date photos and generic ratings like other booking platforms, Travly offers user-generated movies that offer real insights into hotels. Content creators are eligible to get a 5% commission on bookings generated by their high quality videos.
Co-founders of the platform are Zak Longo and Mayur Patil, travel enthusiasts who first built a sizable social media following on Instagram and TikTok. They increased their reach in 2022 when they acquired @Travel, which helped them develop a million-strong network on several social media platforms. They oversee 45 channels together, with over a billion monthly views, including @Cruises, @Hotels, @Resorts, and @Vacation. Additionally, Travly works with almost 1,000 creators that support brand collaborations on various platforms.
Travly recently introduced a video-focused booking platform and mobile app, backed by an integration with Booking.com that gives users access to millions of hotels globally, in response to their social media popularity. In an interview the co-founders explain that Travly seeks to close the gap between inspiration and booking, and that this move was motivated by the observation that many contemporary travelers utilize social media as their major tool for trip planning.
Video creators can now submit their work to Travly and get paid 5% of hotel reservations made as a result of their videos. Every hotel is only allowed to have one video on the platform, however they can change any underperforming ones. The software updates videos to reflect new hotel facilities or modifications, and it evaluates video success based on metrics like watch duration and click-through rates.
Travly has gotten 500 video entries and about 2,000 sign-ups so far. "Destination Dupes," a unique element of the platform, contrasts upscale travel destinations with less expensive options that provide comparable experiences. By selecting a hotel in Krakow, Poland over a more costly one in London and yet enjoying a comparable vibe, consumers can find hidden treasures and save money.
The platform has a tool called "Discover new directions" that delivers personalized travel recommendations based on user interests for people who are unsure on where they want to go next. For instance, users looking for a laid-back and affordable trip can obtain personalized hotel choices.
In order to provide customers with a complete vacation planning experience, Travly intends to grow its service offering in the future to include trip packages, restaurant reservations, and event tickets. The business is also looking for other ways to make money, like adding adverts on the site.
Travly is positioned to take advantage of this trend as the creator economy is expected to develop even further, reaching $480 billion by 2027. Similar to Plannin, a platform that enables producers to monetarily support their hotel recommendations, several firms in the booking market are capitalizing on the impact of travel content makers.