• Social media has become the go-to destination for travel-related decision making
• Tripwell has connected content creators with consumers to offer a one-stop-shop for travel discovery and planning 
• The platform will power contextual e-commerce experiences for travellers around the globe

The rise of online content platforms and user-generated content has fundamentally changed the way that we discover and book travel.

User-generated content and social media are the top sources of inspiration for travel-related decision-making – with almost 90% of Gen Z and Millennial consumers trusting third-party content over a company’s – but until now there have been no mechanisms to book directly through that content without the time-consuming process of hunting it down on different sites and finding the best price.

Over the last year, platforms like Instagram and TikTok have paved the way with shoppable ad units and features, and brands are referencing one trend in common; the need to get closer to the customer. Tripwell enables that by creating new opportunities for brands to connect with consumers through contextual e-commerce travel experiences. Consumers can search content from their favourite creators, save photos and build their own future travel boards.

Tripwell is the first travel-focused platform that is changing the way creators make content, develop their audiences, and grow their businesses. Already engaging credible and influential content creators from across Australia and New Zealand, Tripwell provides a world-class user experience that enables creators to publish and monetise their travel content through bookings, while allowing consumers to book travel directly from creator content through the platform’s booking partners. Winning the Australian Society of Travel Writers (ASTW) Travel Photographer of the Year for the last four years in a row, Dan Avila has joined Tripwell to share his experiences all the way from Australia to Arabia.

“Tripwell solves a few significant issues for content creators in the travel industry. First, it prioritises the community, ensuring they are connected with bespoke experiences and recommendations from creators they trust. Importantly it also ensures that content creators can effectively monetise their posts, receiving the majority of the commission for their work. I’m excited to engage and work with Tripwell ongoing providing my audience with the best digital experiences,” said Dan.

Embarking on its seed round to deliver rapid growth across the market, the new platform has ambitious local plans for the billion-dollar travel industry. Using the money raised in the seed funding round, Tripwell plans to increase the business's digital footprint, focus on building both the creator and consumer experience, and expand its internal team.

Leading the team of travel-obsessed wanderers is Kiwi duo Hayley Gray, Tripwell Co-Founder and CEO and Nick MacAvoy, Co-Founder and CTO. Having successfully built and exited multiple start-ups, the team’s experience spans decades of senior leadership experience in high growth companies giving us deep domain expertise in building B2C products.

“We have been on a journey for the past 18 months to intensely understand the changing tides in the e-commerce space and the next generation of online travel,” said Hayley.

“The global travel industry is huge, so this seed funding round positions us well to expand our team and build a scalable platform that we can expand globally. We’re on a mission to build a travel community of hundreds of millions worldwide, connecting travellers with creators and building a data-led platform to transform the way we find and book travel.”

Designing the technology creation behind the Tripwell idea, Nick MacAvoy has over 20 years’ experience building and scaling high growth technology businesses.

“Picking technology has many considerations – maturity of the tech, speed of development, scalability, support, community, licensing, cost, ease of hiring, performance – and with our choices we believe we deliver on all the above and achieve our world-first travel product,” said Nick.

Tripwell is a game changer for exploring travel as a consumer, producing travel content as a creator, and promoting travel related businesses.

To find out more visit tripwell.io.

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