Argophilia

Αργοφιλία: For the love of the journey.

Travel Technology

Travel Tech 123: Venuemob Value Long & Short

Phil Butler

A travel tech bit from Australia tells of a startup called Venuemob, which helps users find places to hold their events. News from Betakit talks about the recent $450,000 funding round from Singapore based telecom Singtel, but we thought we’d take a look at the service for usability.

Gayosphere.com Solves a Real Niche Need

Aleksandr Shatskih

If ever there were were a need for a niche travel entity, then the launch of world traveler Alan Beck’s Gayosphere.com is certainly it for the gay and lesbian community of travelers. According to the founder, mapping out the most gay-welcoming locations and businesses in the world will end up suggesting the best places on Earth for […]

The Desti (ny) of Semantic Travel Search

Phil Butler

I am the world’s biggest fan of very advanced search technology. My partner and I, our whole team, we are also travel fanatics. The world around us is so amazing, words seldom suffice actually. A big question came to my mind today as I read Venturebeat about a startup called Desti. “Do I really want or need somebody or something to do my traveling for me?” That’s my question.

Travel Tech 123 Test: TouristEye

Phil Butler

Today I ran across an interesting travel startup called TouristEye. Co-founders of the Madrid, Spain sartup, Javier Fernández Escribano, Ariel Cámus, and their partner Diego Jiménez have done a pretty amazing job with something under half a million in funding so far. Here is my 123 on the startup so far.

Surf & Dive Startup Sportbay Launches Affiliate Win

Phil Butler

News from Sportbay Sport Travel today tells of the company launching their affiliate program in February, enabling travel agencies and websites to connect the dots between the sports men and women, and the places they most want to travel to.

Expedia Designs Semantic Search Engine for Travel

Aleksandr Shatskih

Expedia is taking the business of travel search up a notch, with reports suggesting it’s currently developing a natural language search engine that will provide a “more human” way of searching for flights, hotel rooms, restaurants and the like.

AirAsiaExpedia Gets Boss

Phil Butler

Kathleen Tan has been named CEO of the AirAsia Expedia joint venture many believe could change the travel game, at least in Asia. According to the news, Tan will oversee Expedia, AirAsiaGo, and Backick businesses in Asia, India, Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Air Travel Safety Sets New Record During 2012

Aleksandr Shatskih

Flying is officially safer now than it’s ever been before, with the ‘fatal accident rate’ falling to just one death for every 2.5 million flights, the lowest rate in the history of air travel.

Center Parcs Upgrade Mobile Site for Easy Smartphone Bookings

Aleksandr Shatskih

More of their website’s features can now be accessed through smartphones, including bookings of indoor and outdoor activities; booking spa sessions and treatments at the Aqua Sana Spa; and making reservations at any of the Center Parcs restaurants.

With Updated Nearby Feature, Facebook Outplays Groupon as Travel Tool

Aleksandr Shatskih

Mobile apps are a big part of the modern travel experience and being able to offer the best selection of nearby activities seems to the winning strategy. Facebook and Groupon have both launched a Nearby feature as part as their free apps for iOS and Android, but the social network giant seems to be winning […]