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travel startups

AI-Powered Pathfndr Announces a Slew of New Features

2022-10-15 by Phil Butler

pathfndr logo

Pathfndr, billed as a No-code, Artificial Intelligence-powered Travel Operating System, announces a slew of innovations for travel advisors.

Tags: Big Data, Bookings, bookings engine, busses, cars, data, hotels, local expereinces, OTA, OTAs, Pathfndr, semantic search, transportation, travel agents, travel choices, travel search, travel startups, travel tech, travel technology, Varun Gupta

Lend Me Your iPhone to Test the “Backdrop App” Game Changer

2021-10-18 by Phil Butler

iphone

A new spp called Backdrop shows promise for becoming a popular travel companion. At least, according to TechCrunch. If only I had an iPhone!

Tags: Apple Store, Backdrop, iOS, Nigerian startups, TechCrunch, technology, travel apps, travel companion, travel startups, useful apps

2021 COVID Contingencies: What If GetYourGuide Is All Done?

2021-02-26 by Phil Butler

deserted beach

Berlin startup GetYourGuide floats an 80 million euro line of credit financing to help the company stay afloat. What does it mean?

Tags: 2021 outlook, 2021 travel, GetYourGuide, investing, startup sector, travel bookings, travel guides, travel startups, world bookings, world travel

TripActions Raises $155 Million in “Series E” Funding

2021-01-22 by Argophilia Travel News

Dashboard

Business travel management startup TripActions has just announced a new funding round of $155 million.

Tags: AI, startups, technology startup, travel startups, TripActions

PhocusWire Releases 2021 Hot 25 List of Startups

2020-11-27 by Phil Butler

startup

Each November PhocusWire has begun the Phocuswright Conference with the release of our annual Hot 25 Startups. Here is the list for 2021.

Tags: Air Doctor, Anyplace, Beachy, BeRightBack, Buser, CityGuyd, Dream Drive, Entrada Insights, Kyte, Maidbot, Pace, PhocusWire, PhocusWire Hot 25, PhoCusWright conference, Rebound Travel, Salesforce, startups, tech startups, Tentrr, travel startups, Tripkicks, Troop Travel, Trueface, Volara, Vouch, Wajaj, Zamna

GuruWalk Snags €1 Million Seed Funding to Serve ‘Free Walking Tours’

2020-01-02 by Phil Butler

GuruWalk

Spanish startup GuruWalk announces obtaining €1 million in seed funding from SeedRocket and other investors to jumpstart free tours.

Tags: city tours, free tours, GuruWalk, startups, tourism, tourism startups, tours, travel startups, travel tech, travel technology

Hotelbeds Confirms European Wholesale Sales Team

2018-11-07 by Aleksandr Shatskih

Joaquin Garcia and Luis Miguel Vazquez

Hotelbeds has announced another update on further senior management appointments for the company. According to the news, Joaquin Garcia is now Regional Director of Wholesale Sales for Northern and Centre Europe,  and Luis Miguel Vazquez is the Regional Director for the South and Eastern Europe. Both will report directly to Sam Turner, the Wholesale Sales and Sourcing Director with […]

Tags: Hotelbeds, OTA's, tech, travel companies, travel startups, travel tech, travel technology, Travel Technology Europe

Berlin Startup Mapify Conjures $1 Million in Seed Funding

2018-10-09 by Phil Butler

Berlin social travel startup Mapify has announced raising $1 million in seed funding from U.S. and Europe-based funds and angel investors.

Tags: beta tests, Europe startups, Mapify, social apps, TechCrunch, tourism apps, travel startups, TripAdvisor social

Travelzoo Wins 2018 People’s Choice Award

2018-02-28 by Argophilia Travel News

Travelzoo logo

Travelzoo® (NASDAQ: TZOO), a global publisher of exclusive offers and experiences for members, has taken home four top honors at this year’s Stevie Awards® for Sales and Customer Service.

Tags: 2018 People's Choice Award, award ceremonies, Stevie Awards, travel awards, travel news, travel startups, Travelzoo

Dreamlines Raises $19 Million Growth Capital

2017-02-16 by Phil Butler

Dreamlines funding

Hamburg-based Dreamlines has announced its most recent investment round of €18 million euro. This is the latest backing of the online cruise marketplace in the last 12 months.

Tags: Altpoint, cruise packages, cruises, Dimaventures, Dreamlines, Global Founders, Hasso Plattner Ventures, Holtzbrinck Ventures, startups, Target Global, travel startups, Venture Capital

Lola Travel Gets $15 Mil, A+ in Responsiveness, and a Wink

2017-01-12 by Phil Butler

The Lola Travel app

News Kayak founder Paul English has just raised $15 million in funding for his Lola Travel Co. is a shot in the arm for a travel tech industry stagnant since months. According to the news, Lola received a fresh infusion of capital from Charles River Ventures, General Catalyst and Accel.. Here’s a brief snapshot of a new company that says it’s going to provide on-demand, personal service to the world of travelers.

Tags: Accel Partners, AI, funding, General Catalyst Partner, Kayak, Lola Travel', Paul English, startup funding, startup scene, travel startups

Is ride sharing a green Lyft or an Uber hype idea?

2015-02-01 by Phil Butler

Uber Lyft ride

Two cutting edge transportation startups, Lyft and Uber, they’ve done a good job of marketing anything and everything that could help them convert. Long billed as green friendly ride share services, the two have pledge in the past to help reduce the number of cars on the road.

Tags: car pooling, Lyft, ride share, taxis, tourist transport, travel startups, Uber, UberPool

Five Cool Travel Startups You Maybe Never Heard Of

2014-05-05 by Phil Butler

Tripwing

The travel startup niche is a lot less active these days than it once was. The big names, TripAdvisor, Kayak, Airbnb, Uber, and a slew of others have snatched the attention and loyalty of many. Right now these, are in a sort of “no holds barred” competition to become the Facebook of travel, with a lot of niche value going on in between. Speaking of niches, there’s a lot of room for traveler utility and for developing to sell startup action too.

Tags: Ostrovok.ru, Russia tech, startups, travel startups, travel tools, Tripwing, Uxplr

EU Announces Tech All Stars 2014

2014-04-29 by Aleksandr Shatskih

Tech All Stars

The European Commission has launched the 3rd edition of the Tech All Stars Competition for finding Europe’s best startups from EU accelerators, incubators and web camps. This year’s competition invites a dozen of Europe’s best talents to get connected with funding and more.

Tags: startups, tech, Tech All Stars, travel startups, travel tech

Trustedhousesitters.com – Well Deserving of Your Attention

2013-03-22 by Phil Butler

Trustedhousesitters.com

If you ever dreamed of visiting far off places, and staying in a home away from home, Trustedhousesitters is just the ticket. Likewise, if you need someone you can trust to take care of your house while you are away, and maybe even your pets, then this service makes all the sense in the world.

Tags: house rentals, house sitting, pet friendly, pet sitters, pet vacations, sitting, travel ideas, travel startups, vacation homes, vacations

HotelTonight Now Rocking in Germany and Switzerland

2013-01-21 by Phil Butler

HotelTonight iPad experience

With apps rapidly coming on as contenders for digital travel booking dominance, popular hotel booking app HotelTonight has just announced launching in Germany and Switzerland.

Tags: booking app, German hotels, Germany bookings, hotel bookings, mobile app, mobile bookings, travel app, travel startups

Travel Tech 123 Test: TouristEye

2013-01-11 by Phil Butler

TouristEye logo

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.

Tags: guides, OTA's, Spain startups, tourism platform, travel guides, travel platform, travel startups, travel technologies

All the OTA Commission Fuss “N” Stuff

2012-11-02 by Phil Butler

Dining at the Bosphorus Grill

This will be the shortest analysis post I have written out of many thousands. Many people wonder how come all the fuss over OTAs, commissions, and saving a buck where hotel bookings are concerned. The following little bits of info play into the “why” of online booking analysis.

Tags: Bosphorus views, Kempinski, meta search, OTA's, travel startups, Turkey Travel

Air Booking Site OneTwoTrip: Worth $9 Mil Funding?

2012-09-06 by Phil Butler

OneTwoTrip search results.

When I saw that TechCrunch had announced Russian travel startup OneTwoTrip’s recent $9 million funding round, I have to admit I was skeptical. For one thing, even though the Russian Federation has some of the world’s best programmers and developers, in general web entities from there generally suck. And pretty bad too.

Tags: air tickets, airline booking, airline bookings, booking portal, flights, funding round, Ozon, Ozon Travel, plane tickets, Russian startup, TechCrunch, travel startups

Top 10 Travel Sites of 2011

2011-11-07 by Aleksandr Shatskih

travlrapp screeshot

Some travel startups were extensively praised on mainstream media, others, were less fortunate, but their value is still there.

Tags: top 10, top 10 travel sites, travel sites, travel startups

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Arvi’s Banana Festival Returns from 7 to 9 August

2026-07-25 By Argophilia Travel News

The 8th Arvi Banana Festival returns to southern Crete from August 7–9, 2026, with live music, theater, family entertainment, and Cretan hospitality.

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Heraklion Plans 20-Bed Support Center as Housing Shortage Strains Social Services

2026-07-25 By Mihaela Lica Butler

The Municipality of Heraklion is planning a new 20-bed support center for vulnerable residents, acknowledging that the city’s biggest challenge isn’t visible homelessness, but finding affordable housing for people who need a fresh start.

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Great News, Chania! The Municipal Market Reopening Is Only Four Years Behind Schedule

2026-07-25 By Arthur Butler

Chania completes tenant auctions for the historic Agora, targeting a December 4, 2026 grand reopening with a focus on local Cretan products.

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Heraklion Municipal Gyms Offer Affordable Fitness Across Two Modern Facilities

2026-07-25 By Manuel Santos

Heraklion Municipality opens modern fitness facilities at Pagkritio Stadium and Pateles for €30/month with full disability access.

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Summer Downpour Takes Heraklion by Surprise

2026-07-25 By Argophilia Travel News

Unseasonable summer rain surprises Heraklion as EMY issues weather warnings across Greece for lightning, hail, and squalls.

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