Online concierge offers travel planning at an affordable price

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A US-based startup creates tailor-made travel plans and recommendations opening up the luxury travel market to the mass market.

Spotted: Springwise has already spotted various innovations seeking to improve the travel industry. This travel accommodation site only offers sustainable housing to help reduce the environmental impact of the tourism industry. In addition, this app books trips for customers based on their past photos. In a similar mindset of seeking to improve the customer experience, an online concierge service is now using streamlined business tactics to offer affordable business prices.

Journy is a personal travel planning service that tackles the hardest parts of travelling. Each client receives one-to-one sessions with an expert concierge online to talk through their travel plans. These experts can put together itineraries, book hotels, and make restaurant reservations. In opposition to the majority of existing concierge services, Journy is for all travellers, not just the luxury sector. It also has a mobile app to help customers stay connected, even whilst in the middle of a trip.

Clients’ experiences begin with a 2-minute survey to establish their preferences and travel priorities. They then discuss itineraries via email or chat to put together a draft trip. It can then be adapted to suit the exact specifications of the customer. The final itinerary is shared via PDF or on the app to keep it available throughout the client’s vacation.

Journy’s services cost €23-45 per day of the trip, a significantly different price to most personalised travel planning services, depending on the demands of the client. They also pride themselves on non-biased recommendations, as they don’t receive markups from businesses that they book with.