Welcome to Travel Massive.
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This page contains 5 sections: developer log, member activity, latest posts, upcoming meetups, and classified ads.
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Meet Jake Gafner, founder of Wayward — a platform designed to elevate the adventure travel industry and help operators create better experiences for travelers worldwide.
*
jake-gafner is a Chicago-based tourism entrepreneur and engineer at heart with a background in operations, building B2B and B2C software businesses, and a deep passion for travel.*
In this interview Jakes shares his story about how an internal tool to manage his adventure travel business pivoted into a global tech platform used on trips in over 130 countries.
How did you start Wayward?
I've been in the tourism industry since 2018, when we first started by operating our own adventure travel company, [Lost Travel](lost.travel?ref=travelmassive). We built the first version of our internal tool (called Wayward) in 2019 to help our business run more efficiently, and it's grown from there.
Article image #0
*Jake Gafner, leading a trip for his adventure travel company, Lost Travel.*
The concept came from our own frustration with juggling multiple tools while trying to create amazing adventures for our customers. Since then, it's been used by operators for trips in over 130 countries for everything from sailing around the world to incredible offroad adventure rallies.
[Wayward](wayward.travel/?ref=travelmassive) is an all-in-one platform that helps tour and adventure operators manage trips, connect with travelers, and grow their businesses without the high costs or corporate hassle. Our customers include tour operators, adventure companies, and tourism organizations who want to streamline their operations while providing seamless experiences for their travelers.
We've been developing Wayward since 2019, continuously improving it based on real-world feedback from operators. We're an independent company with an incredible team around the globe who are passionate about travel and genuinely care about solving problems for this industry.
How does Wayward help Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) showcase their regions?
We help our DMO market and support the operators in their reaching who are putting on incredible experiences. Operators in participating regions get free or discounted tools like waivers, registration, and customer management tools while getting access to our global travel network and promotion tools.
The main benefit is that DMOs can finally connect local operators with their marketing expertise and visitor audiences in a way that actually drives real-world visits.
Article image #1
*Wayward 3.0's tour management dashboard.*
The idea came from recognizing that operators can always use help with marketing and growth, while DMOs are expert marketers who want to promote great experiences but often lack the tools to connect with operators effectively. We believe Wayward can be the connective tissue that helps DMOs market amazing experiences while providing excellent tools that help operators run their businesses successfully.
See our list of our [DMO partners](wayward.travel/by-industry/tourism-organizations) for some examples — including organizations like [Sugar River Valley](www.sugarrivervalleywi.com) and [Unforgettable Forgottonia]( www.visitforgottonia.com/experiences/). The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with partners appreciating how easy it is to showcase their region's experiences and connect with operators.
We work with tourism organizations of all sizes, from small Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVBs) to large established Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs). Our ideal customers are those who want to move beyond just creating awareness and actually turn that awareness into real-world visits to their region by supporting the experience-makers in the region.
We're genuinely passionate about elevating the adventure travel industry and believe that better tools lead to better experiences for everyone.
How long does it take to develop an integration with Wayward?
Brands can get started in minutes and our team can help convert existing trip content into experiences on Wayward. The ongoing requirements are minimal since changes to experiences automatically sync across partner platforms.
What tech stack are you building in?
We're building on Android, iOS and web with React, Next.js, TypeScript, and Laravel on the backend.
The biggest challenge has been creating something that works seamlessly both online and offline since adventure travelers often venture into remote areas with limited connectivity.
Article image #4
*Wayward can track tour participants in remote adventure rallies.*
One thing we're excited about is that we just launched a low cost, digital waiver solution that can save operators hundreds per year. Next up is integrated payments, end-to-end customer experience management for operators, and smart maps with a virtual visitor center for DMOs. These features will further streamline operations and enhance the traveler experience.
What advice would you give to travel tech founders starting out?
Start by actually operating in the space you're trying to serve — you can't build good tools for an industry you don't understand. Focus on solving real problems that operators face daily, not just creating features that look good in demos.
— Thanks, Jake for sharing your story!
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Learn more about Wayward at [wayward.travel](wayward.travel) or contact [support@wayward.travel](mailto:support@wayward.travel?subject=Question%20about%20Wayward%20via%20Travel%20Massive). Connect with Jake on [Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/@jake-gafner) and [LinkedIn](www.linkedin.com/in/jacobgafner).
Thanks for the interview! This was fun. Happy to chat with anybody about what we’re building or how we may be able to help DMOs and operators.
FoundersAround is a website to find other local founders to co-work or go for coffee.
Who's it for? Who's it not for?
✅ Founders who want to grab a coffee or co-work
✅ Builders ready to meet others IRL in their city
❌ Founders only here to spam or promote
Hi everyone. I made this website as an alternative to meetups, whatsapp, etc etc etc.
When I moved to another country (UK) I felt super lost. Not because there aren't many meetups or coworkings. But because I didn't know them and also meetups are not the most straightforward and intuitive way to meet people.
Who were the founders living here? What do they do? I ended up going to a Google coworking space over there and met some really cool people.
Now, I'm back to my home country, after 8 years abroad, and again, I don't know who the founders are, living close to me, that I could potentially meet.
👉 That's why I decided to build FoundersAround.com
How It Works:
1. Claim your spot on the map
2. See founders near you 🗺️
3. Message and meet up IRL 💬
4. Bring your founder friends 👯
I've been having numerous conversations with founders and I'm having supportive comments and feedback.
For far, we have:
🚀 372 founders
🌍 61 different countries
🥳 Some founders have even met and gone for a drink because they found each other on the platform.
Is this website useful? What do you think? Would love to your your thoughts.
Hi Leo, thanks for sharing FoundersAround with the Travel Massive community.
This is a cool concept, with a nice interface. Love the 🛸 as well!
I kinda have to disagree with you that meetups are not the most intuitive way to meet people, since we've hosted 2400+ meetups in the past 10 years or so, so I am a bit biased on that one! :P
Although with that said, the travel and tourism industry is closely related to the hospitality industry, so most people in our community are very social and enjoy networking and meeting other people. Maybe the tech industry is a different.
In terms of 1:1 meetups — I've often met up with other founders I don't know IRL for a coffee — but this is almost always brokered by a mutual friend, or I follow/interact with that person online a lot.
Hope you find the feeback helpful!
Hi Ian, thank you for the feedback. When I said meetups, I meant meetups.com, which was not so straightforward to meet people, in my opinion.
I had to create an account. Choose what meetups would be good to attend. Finally go to the meetup without knowing who'd be there.
But super helpful feedback and interesting to understand how you are meeting people, especially 1:1
Yeah meetup.com is not in a good state (the founder sold to WeWork in 2017, then it was onsold to an investment company, then most recently to Bending Spoons last year). There are some horrific dark patterns buried in meetup's business model, making it incredibly difficult to shut down a group. So I am not surprised you didn't have a good experience there. Hopefully Bending Spoons will fix this mess.
Accommodation website "Hotel With Tub" recently published a list of top digital nomad destinations for 2025.
hotelwithtub.com/blog/ranking-the-top-100-digital-nomad-destinations-of-2025
They claim: "We pulled data from over 1,300 cities worldwide and ranked the top 100 based on what digital nomads care about most—how affordable it is to live there (alone or with family), how safe and livable it feels, how often people return, and how much buzz it's getting online."
I'd be very curious to hear how this compares to real life experiences by true digital nomads!?
As a long time nomad/slomad myself and from our data at Insured Nomads I'm surprised by a few of the cities being on the list (Ogden, Utah and six cities in Poland out of 100) and then for Rio de Janeiro to be placed as 99 and Medellín as 100 is questionable as they would be higher I believe.
:) I have no idea where some of these people draw their data from but it doesn't align much with what we see from 2,000 nomads a day.
Yeah I was surprised by some results. Melbourne? It's a cool city but very expensive and the timezone sucks for most people working remotely. And where is Bansko?
Some weird results and left-outs in there.
I really hope this guy joins to hear everyone's comments! I wondered which is why I asked if I could share. I consider becoming a digital nomad myself and found the new community presented by our colleagues on here very interesting.
Wow, that list varies a lot from what you normally see! I've never even heard of Nakhon Ratchasima as a digital nomad destination and it's #5?
I wouldn't have expected London and Tokyo that high just because of the cost of living (Dubai is expensive too but I do agree Dubai is rapidly becoming a popular remote work destination). And I would have expected Valencia, where I'm currently based, much higher on the list.
In short, I really wonder how useful the data they chose is to rank digital nomad destinations...
Most surveys like this are not sound in my experience. The methodology (from a publication I've never heard of) doesn't mention who was polled, how information was gathered or how it's weighted. We do a lot of primary research on the women 50+ travel market and always show our sources. I tend to ignore blogs and rely on organizations that understand data, which is also my background.
I believe it's just a content creator trying to promote the website and they looked at a lot of data analysis to come to their conclusions. Do you share your 50+ travel data anywhere? I'd be interested in reading it if you care to share.
Thanks for all the feedback everyone! I've sent them over to the guy who sent it to me so he sees what real life nomads think. I found what you all had to say very interesting and hope he does too. I told him he should join so he has more of a feel for this community if he's trying to appeal to digital nomads in general.:)
Just seeing Bangkok at #1 with 23.3m nomads by 2025? These are the overall tourist arrivals so far this year, unless they are all digital nomads. What a load of bull! However, living here, there are quite a few of them, but definitely not 23.3m so far this year. So I scrap this list as just another load of bullshit!
Tell us how you really feel Bert! LOL
I guess a challenge of this kind of list is distinguishing between tourists and digital nomads. For instance Yangshuo. I absolutely loved the place, but it's pretty small, not really a place to stay for months at a time, so probably the instagram hashtag volume played a big role in getting Yangshuo on this list.
As far as cheap destinations go, it all depends on which cities where included in the original research. I'm missing Danang, it's cheaper than Hanoi, and wildly popular among digital nomads.
It's difficult to make this kind of list perfect (though it's fun to read!)
Isn't it? That's why I thought this group was great to share it in.
I'm surprised not to see Chiang Mai in the top 20
Why would you say that? Just curious.
I've read a number of articles citing Chiang Mai as a good digital nomad destination. Here is an example: thisremotecorner.com/digital-nomads-in-chiang-mai/ . The rest can be googled.
Thank you! Very interesting.
A fun list ... as a BKK resident I can understand the appeal.
This is awesome
After completing a graduate program in Spirituality Mind Body integration at Columbia University, I’m headed to Tibet this July—not as a tourist, but as a student of culture, care, and connection.
This journey began last year when I visited Tibet House in NYC (thus.org) with my cohort. Surrounded by sacred art and intention, I sensed that this wasn’t just a field trip—it was the start of something sacred. A later retreat to Menla, Tibet House’s partner center in the Catskills, deepened that pull. I engaged in nature-based reflection, ancestral healing work, and learned to navigate both inner and outer terrain.
Now, as I prepare to travel to Tibet with Tibet Voice (www.tibetvoice.org, I’m bringing that inner work full circle. Our weekly Zoom teachings with the founder—on geography, culture, and Tibetan spiritual wisdom—have transformed this from a trip into a pilgrimage.
This is my first international journey since the Middle East years ago, and I hope it opens the door to a life of storytelling through a “connected with care” philosophy. I also plan to integrate ethical research into this journey, using travel as a framework for lifelong learning—for myself, and my son.
📖 If you’d like to see more images, or just follow along as I prepare for Tibet…
👉🏽 Substack at tokurateaquest.substack.com/p/from-tibet-house-to-tibet-a-pilgrimage
✨ Enrich your life as you enjoy the view.
We’re Matt and Nathan Kirouac-York, two husbands with a love for travel, and especially for celebrating queer culture in unexpected places.
Through our original articles, in-depth travel guides, newsletters, social media, and forthcoming YouTube channel, we’re traveling the world with Pride, sharing authentic stories along the way.
We do this because queer people exist beyond Pride Month and gayborhoods. Because we exist not only in cities but rural areas too. Because we come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and spectrums. And because queer people have always been told to stay in their lane.
Along with my husband, Nathan York, we're proud to introduce our queer travel brand, The Gay Lane.
Founded in Oklahoma City, where our LGBTQ+ community inspired us to celebrate queer culture in unexpected places, The Gay Lane features original and evocative travel stories by my husband and myself, along with queer travel news, evergreen Pride Planners, and The Gay Lane Podcast. Showcasing the breadth of the queer travel experience, we go beyond stereotypes — and beyond gayborhoods and Pride Month — to showcase unexpected queer travel destinations, like Eureka Springs, Ark., and Louisville, Ky., and publish stories about traveling in the wake of divorce, finding community in classic car culture, and queer architecture history.
Subscribers can also join our community chat, and get full access to all archived stories and travel guides.
Welcome to The Gay Lane: www.thegaylane.com
Thanks to [everyone who joined Cape Town Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/events/celebrate-ethiopian-culture-with-travel-massive-cape-town-at-addis-in-cape-5963628421
) in June at Cape Town's iconic Ethiopian restaurant, [Addis in Cape](addisincape.co.za) for an experience rich in cultural flavour and connection.
Celebrating Ethiopian Culture
The culinary event was designed to celebrate Ethiopian culture and provided a unique opportunity to engage with the heart of Ethiopia through its cuisine, storytelling, and warm communal dining. For some attendees, it was a return to a beloved spot; for others, a first encounter with the vibrant traditions of Ethiopia.
As the injera (a traditional sourdough flatbread that is a staple in Ethiopian cuisine) passed around and guests savoured aromatic stews, it was clear how food and travel intersect to forge meaningful connections, underscoring Cape Town’s position as a foremost travel and cultural destination.
A heartfelt thanks to Senait, Chantle and the [Addis in Cape](addisincape.co.za) team for their warm hospitality and the exceptional spread that brought Ethiopia to life in Cape Town.
🇪🇹 Explore the atmosphere of Addis in Cape on [Instagram](www.instagram.com/addis_in_cape_restaurant/) and [Facebook](www.facebook.com/AddisinCape/).
☕️ A big thanks to our exclusive prize sponsor [Jude’s Rhyming Grind Coffee Spot](instagram.com/therhyminggrindcoffeespot/) for supporting our event, and providing a delicious coffee blend package with a taste of Ethiopian-style brew.
📸 Thank you to [Bilqees Moos](www.travelmassive.com/@bilqeesmoos) for the photography.
This event was organised by [Fuad Peters](www.travelmassive.com/@fuadpeters) with support from [Sherise Dreyer](www.travelmassive.com/@sherise-dreyer) and [Michaela Crowe](www.travelmassive.com/@michaela-crowe) from the Cape Town Travel Massive team.
— See you at our future events, where we continue to showcase experiences and meaningful conversations!
Stay connected with [Cape Town Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/posts/cape-town-travel-massive-934667102) on [Instagram](instagram.com/travelmassivect/) and [X](x.com/@travelmassivect).
To attend upcoming events, be sure to have a completed member profile.
☔️ Despite the stormy weather, the event was a testament to the resilience and passion of our tourism network.
Cape Town continues to assert itself as an African gateway, not just in terms of arrivals, but through curated experiences that celebrate our continental identity. This Ethiopian cultural immersion was more than a meal—it was a lesson in travel’s power to unite.
The experience through food and culture at Addis in Cape in the heart of Cape Town from Ethiopia demonstrates how we are can connect and learn through cultural experiences.
What an incredible evening celebrating the richness of Ethiopian culture and cuisine! 🌍✨ It was such a joy to help bring this event to life alongside the amazing team at Travel Massive Cape Town and Addis in Cape. From the warm conversations to the aroma of freshly roasted coffee, every element was a sensory journey, and it was beautiful to see so many people connecting over shared stories, food, and tradition.
Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the night so special. Here's to more cultural exchanges and unforgettable experiences!💛
That looks like a great evening
Such a gorgeous experience and delicious way to connect. Can't wait to go back for another meal.
It was such a unique experience—made even more special by the beautiful historical building it’s located in.
There’s a rich tapestry of Ethiopian history and tradition that comes alive through the food, shared in the most authentic way possible.
One of the highlights for me was witnessing the Ethiopian coffee ceremony. It’s not just about coffee—it’s a cultural experience steeped in ancient history and tradition, presented with a contemporary African flair.
I truly had quite the adventure, and I would encourage anyone to experience it for themselves.
A heartfelt thank you to Fuad Peters and his incredible support team for organizing such a memorable event.
P.S. Here’s to the next one…
Addis in Cape is a warm and welcoming slice of Ethiopia in the heart of Cape Town. We shared rich stews, fluffy injera, and fragrant coffee served with popcorn – all eaten the traditional way, by hand! It’s an authentic cultural treat from start to finish. 🇪🇹🫓☕️
It was an amazing afternoon with very good and interesting Ethiopian food.
👍 interesting.
Freaking Nomads is a community-powered platform built by and for digital nomads.
It's a global platform where nomads can discover the best places to live and work remotely, check out nomad events, browse available communities, review work-friendly cafes, coliving and coworking spaces and connect with fellow nomads by sharing real-world advice on all things digital nomads.
The Freaking Nomads platform counts already:
🌍 310+ cities worth visiting (with verified reviews)
💻 2.9K+ workspaces that are actually open and cool
👥 400+ nomad communities & groups to join
📅 45+ events to meet your people IRL
Be part a global network and join the Freaking Nomads family!
Hey nomads! 👋
I’m Luca Mussari, co-founder of Freaking Nomads, together with @Irene Wang.
We quit our corporate life, fell in love with digital nomadism… and quickly realized what a HOT mess it all was. Information was scattered, outdated, or just plain... wrong? Spread across dead groups, stale blog posts, and platforms that hadn’t kept up.
So, we built Freaking Nomads as the fresh and modern platform we wish existed: one clean, no-filter place for everything digital nomads actually need to live this awesome lifestyle.
Why Freaking Nomads isn’t just another “platform” for digital nomads?
🕵️♀️ Crowdsourced Insights: Every city and workspace listing is vetted by fellow nomads themselves who can submit Wi-Fi speed and can directly review safety, cost, and vibes.
💬 No-BS discussions: ask anything (tax tips, the best pad thai stall, you name it) and get answers from people who’ve been there.
🏠 Workspace Directory: You can search for coworking spaces, coliving spots, and laptop-friendly cafés worldwide
🔗 One-click group links—Slack, Discord, WhatsApp, Meetup… join local nomad communities without digging through endless posts
🎉 Actual events: from tiny bar meetups to full-blown nomad festivals, you’ll see it all on our calendar!
We’re two nomads building for nomads. And we keep tweaking the hub to solve our own problems (and yours).
👉 Pop in and say hi at community.freakingnomads.com and join for free today!
We’d love your feedback, contributions, and new ideas. So we'll see you on the platform! 🙌
Hi Luca and Irene, thanks for sharing Freaking Nomads with the Travel Massive community!
Nice community platform you've built. What's it developed with?
The Internet needs more "local" forums like these! You will have to nurture your discussions (and defend against low quality content) to build a reliable and long-lived community, so be sure to keep at it!
Hey Ian, thanks so much for your kind words and glad to have our platforms featured in Travel Massive!
Our forum is still new, so I'm sure we will definitely encounter these problems soon (🥲), so thanks so much for your advice, super helpful!
The platform is fully custom and it's been built using NextJS and React 😁
Nice! I just joined. I absolutely love travel and am just starting to explore the possibility of becoming a digital nomad either part-time or full-time so this is great timing. I had looked at a couple of Facebook groups in the last week or so, and they were duds regarding genuine information and help.
Great to have you in our community Patty! We do have a ton of resources, so we hope you will find something useful on our platform!
Feel free also to check out our main site freakingnomads.com where we share a ton of guides for aspiring digital nomads, including how to find accommodations, deal with taxes, digital nomad visas, and so much more!
Thank you! Will do.
Really cool website, I love the UX and how pretty it looks – for me as a user it's very important for things to work quick and intuitive. I met Luca and Irene recently in Sofia as well – keep up the great work :))
Thanks so much for your lovely words, Maria! We are super happy to have you in our community and thanks so much for the feedback.
The look and feel of Freaking Nomads as it's always been one of the things that we wanted to make stand out. Irene is been working hard to always make our platform (and branding) feel as fresh as possible so we are super glad to see you like it 🔥
Great to see this here, congrats guys!
Thanks so much, Chris! 🙏
This looks amazing! I've been pitched 10 Best Destinations for Digital Nomads Ranked in 2025 The study analyzed 1,370 locations worldwide using a weighted scoring system that balances affordability, safety, quality of life, infrastructure, nomad return rates, and social media presence. Data was gathered from public sources and community-driven platforms such as Nomad List, Numbeo, and Instagram hashtags to ensure a comprehensive view of the digital nomad landscape in 2025. I was wondering if you all might be interested in the results to add to your website?
Congratulations to the team for joining Travel Massive! The website is amazing!! super intuitive and, most importantly, full of valuable information for us digital nomads. I discovered you through social media, and when I visited the site I was like wow, a true traveler’s paradise! Thank you for all the work you do.
Thanks so much Angie! Thanks for being part of our Freaking Nomads community 💖
SkyJourney just passed 30,000 flights logged — and it all started as a personal travel diary.
Whether you’re a frequent flyer, an aviation enthusiast, or someone who simply loves the feeling of takeoff, SkyJourney helps you log your flights, track your travel stats, and visualize your global footprint in a beautiful, meaningful way.
What You Can Do with SkyJourney:
• Log each flight you take — from short hops to long hauls
• Add details like airline, aircraft, seat, and notes
• See how far you’ve flown, how much time you’ve spent in the air, and even your estimated CO₂ impact
• Explore an interactive world map showing all your visited airports
• Keep memories alive, trip by trip
No app download, no clutter — just a simple, privacy-friendly way to tell your story in the skies.
Hi everyone! 👋 I’m Renato, a passionate traveler and developer based in Portugal.
I built SkyJourney because I wanted a simple, beautiful way to keep track of my flights and reflect on where I’ve been. What started as a personal project turned into something I’m proud to share with the travel community.
If you love flying, tracking your journeys, or just nerding out over travel stats, I’d love for you to try it and let me know what you think.
Hi Renato, thanks for sharing your project with the Travel Massive community.
I uploaded my AITA data with 600+ flights and it imported it all. Very smooth UX and sign in, well done. Love the dark mode too.
Is there a way to share my flights via a public profile?
Thanks for your reply.
Not yet. That should be available soon.
Your public profile should now be available. Click on the profile menu and there is a link.
Wow, that was a fast feature delivery! 🙌
Here's my flight stats (up to last year) for anyone interested: skyjourney.app/u/ian-c
Thanks. Impressive stats by the way
Hi, I'm a loyal user of JetLovers. Any good reason why i should switch? :)
Give it a try, it's free and you can import from JetLovers.
To be honest I felt other apps were missing some features so I decided to build it for myself. Now I have gone ahead and released it
Thanks for sharing Renato, I will definitely give it a try!
Thank you, let me know if you have any feedback!
Join host Katie Janner as she interviews locals, unpacks cultural quirks, and shares the highs (and hilarious lows) of her globe-trotting adventures—from volcano hikes and street food feasts to skincare splurges and bathroom blights. Alongside her co-host Grace, she explores the world with humor, curiosity, and just the right amount of chaos.
🇬🇹🇸🇻 Season 1: Turning 30, learning surf and Spanish, and interviewing locals in Guatemala & El Salvador
🇰🇷 Season 2: Ice fishing, DMZ tours & K-culture deep dives in South Korea
✈️ Real stories. Real local insight. Travel curiously.
Hi everyone! I'm Katie Janner, the host of Broad Abroad — a travel podcast and YouTube series where I dive deep into a country’s culture, politics, and history through interviews with locals.
Season 2 just launched, and it's all about South Korea 🇰🇷 — from K-pop and plastic surgery to the DMZ and Korea's wild history and recent political tensions.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtcAXXQCsEk&t=2365s
I need more feedback, but something I've gotten so far is that everyone is short on time. So, moving forward episodes will be between 5 minutes to 30 minutes.
I'd love your advice: What’s worked for you in growing a YouTube travel channel? I’m posting shorts and episodes regularly, but still trying to crack the algorithm.
If you’re into travel content with substance (and a little sass), I’d love for you to check it out!
Travel Curiously. ✈️
Meet Idan Dahan, co-founder of Maslol — a new platform that helps tour guide companies, online travel agencies, hotels, and local attractions to create their own branded digital tours and smart maps.
*
idan-dahan is a solo travel enthusiast, entrepreneur, and new dad who co-founded Maslol, a SaaS platform that helps travel, culinary, art, and education businesses offer self-guided tours.*
In this interview Dahan shares his story about he created an online experiences marketplace, which led to the creation of Maslol with co-founders Shlomo and Eitan.
How did you get started in the tourism industry?
It started with "Dguide", a marketplace of self-guided digital tours built by tour guides and bloggers we launched in 2020, which saw thousands of downloads and sales.
After returning from extensive travel, I realized most tourism businesses weren’t equipped to engage independent travelers — those who prefer exploring at their own pace. We began researching the space and found that a huge portion of the market goes underserved.
Soon after, tourism businesses began asking for our technology and support to create their own branded digital tours and smart maps. They wanted white-label solutions fully embedded into their websites.
That led to the creation of [Maslol](www.maslol.io) — a platform empowering tour operators, cruise lines, and hotels to offer scalable, branded, immersive digital experiences and unlock new revenue streams with modern travelers.
Article image #0
*Idan Dahan, co-founder of Maslol.*
Maslol was launched in mid-2023 by our team of three founders: myself, Shlomo (CTO), and Eitan, who leads business development and partnerships. We combine backgrounds in tech, content strategy, and international tourism.
What is Maslol and who are your customers?
Maslol enables tourism businesses to create interactive, multilingual [digital tours](maslol.io/technology) to expand their services, increase revenue and elevate their customers' experience. Digital tours are created using our smart content tools, or through our content services team.
Our customers includes [tour guides companies](maslol.io/TourGuidingCompanies), online travel agencies (OTAs), [hotels](maslol.io/hotels), cruise companies and local attractions who want to drive revenue, attract independent travelers, and offer modern, branded visitor experiences that work directly from mobile browsers like Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.
Our digital tours and recommendation maps are used by clients across Germany, Spain, London, Japan, and Israel. They enjoy the simplicity of creating branded digital tours using our platform, the built-in AI tools that assist with content creation and translation, and the option to get hands-on support from our team.
Digital tours support multimedia (text, images, video, trivia, audio) and work seamlessly on mobile browsers.
How did you prove the business case for self-guided digital tours?
One of our first Maslol clients was a Japan-based tour operator who sells attractions, guided experiences, and custom trip planning. He was the first to build digital tours on our platform and decided to market them at $25 USD each. To our surprise, he reached over 1,000 sales per month, generating around $25,000 in revenue.
Both my co-founder and I were amazed by the demand — not just by the volume of purchases but also by the incredible feedback he received. It proved to us that digital tours aren’t just an add-on — they can be a standalone product with real impact and profitability.
What is the business model for Maslol?
Maslol offers a [usage-based SaaS model](maslol.io/pricing) with optional content creation packages. Target clients include tourism boards, municipalities, hotels, cruise lines, tour guiding companies, and travel planners who want to offer white-label digital experiences to their visitors. Learn more in our [case studies](maslol.io/casestudies).
Article image #8
*Maslol powers a self-guided graffiti tour in Paris.*
Operators can also upsell additional services — we support affiliate ticketing links, cross-promotion of other physical and digital tours, and even local upsells like food tastings or curated shopping experiences. The end-of-tour screen is fully customizable.
Maslol is expanding and open to partnerships, resellers, and digital tourism innovators — [get in contact](maslol.io/contacts)!
How can a traditional tour operator benefit from self-guided tours?
Focus on your knowledge and how it can be turned into passive income and value for your travelers. Many tourism professionals hold a wealth of untapped stories and insights.
Digital tours can turn that expertise into recurring revenue, multilingual content, and access to audiences far beyond traditional formats.
Start simple and authentic, iterate with real feedback, and always prioritize the value for the end travelers.
How long does it take a customer to develop a self-guided tour?
With prepared content, it can take a few hours. With our tools or assistance, it typically takes a few days depending on scope. Updates are easily managed via the dashboard, and the tours remain live and accessible on any mobile browser.
Everything is built into our platform — no need for video editing, audio recording, or design tools. We use integrated AI to help users create multimedia content that remains personal, engaging, and true to their brand.
What is your tech stack? What new features are you working on?
We use React, Node.js, Firebase, and a suite of AI tools. One of the biggest challenges has been making a powerful yet simple interface — especially for non-technical clients — while supporting full white-label flexibility and multi-language content delivery.
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*Maslol's development team are working with and building AI tools.*
We're currently developing advanced AI tools designed to keep content both authentic and scalable — including automated translation into multiple languages (text, audio, and video) to help tourism businesses reach broader audiences with minimal effort.
One of our most exciting updates is the upcoming Multi-Day Tour feature, which will allow operators to bundle multiple digital experiences across several days — perfect for multi-stop itineraries and longer travel programs.
What advice would you give to aspiring travel tech founders?
Build only what people are asking for. Talk with customers weekly, and treat every objection as a feature request in disguise. Tourism is about people and emotion — keep that human focus at the center.
— Thanks, Idan for sharing your story!
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Learn more about Maslol at [maslol.io](maslol.io). Connect with Idan on [Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/@idan-dahan) and [LinkedIn](www.linkedin.com/in/idan-dahan-b1b4b7161/).
Thanks to Travel Massive for the opportunity to showcase Maslol to the global travel and tourism innovation community. I'm Idan, a solo-travel enthusiast and founder of Maslol.io — a platform for creating digital tours and smart recommendation maps designed for independent travelers around the world.
Happy to answer any questions, hear your thoughts, or show you how our solution can integrate with your business or project. Feel free to reach out directly: idan@maslol.io or connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/idan-dahan93
That's an impressive journey Idan! Digital tours are definitely on the rise, with the growing number of young, tech-savvy, independent travelers!
HERE'S THE NEXT 5 UPCOMING EVENTS:
Join Travel Massive, Stay22 and industry partners for an expert panel examining how creators and brands are building partnerships that deliver visitors, revenue and ongoing value.
This LIVE Webinar will explore what’s working (and what’s not) and how both sides can build lasting, revenue-generating partnerships, with perspectives from creators and industry experts.
In this webinar, powered by Stay22, we'll discuss the following topics in a panel Q&A with our experts:
✅ What travel brands actually want — Learn how DMOs and travel companies are approaching budgets and what they look for in creator partnerships.
🧠 Inside the creator mindset — How top creators find brand deals, determine what to charge, and why they say "no" more often than you think.
📈 Real revenue benchmarks — Discover who is driving bookings and earnings across Stay22's affiliate network, from small travel blogs to large publishing platforms, and how to spot monetization trends early.
🤝 Dealbreakers, pitfalls, and must-dos — Lessons from both sides about press trips, deliverables, affiliate revenue, and setting expectations that stick.
🚀 How to create smarter, more sustainable partnerships — Get a preview of the tools and models Stay22 are building to help creators and industry pros earn better, together.
Register to watch LIVE on Thursday 31st July, at 11am EDT, with host Kateryna Topol (Toronto Travel Massive). Recording will be available afterwards.
Who is this webinar for?
This exclusive LIVE webinar is designed for content creators, tourism boards, destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and brand strategists looking for practical takeaways to build their content and marketing strategies into 2026 and beyond.
Panel Experts
• Ashley Norman, PTG Consulting (DMO representative)
• Kimberly Davies, Walkaboot Travel (Creator)
• Félix Contant, Stay22 (Platform perspective)
• Kateryna Topol, Toronto Travel Massive, Paths to Travel Magazine (Moderator)
About Our Panelists
Ashley Norman, Vice President, Marketing Communications, PTG Consulting
Ashley Norman leads the public relations and digital marketing team at PTG Consulting, an award-winning strategic partner for the tourism and hospitality industry’s most dynamic brands, destinations, and independent hotels. Ashley is passionate about helping lesser-known destinations enter new markets, and her insightful, hands-on approach has resulted in impactful multi-channel exposure for the agency’s clients across the world. Learn more at ptgconsulting.com
Kimberly Erin Davies, Walkaboot Travel
Kimberly has partnered with national tourism boards, outdoor brands, and travel companies to create compelling digital campaigns that inspire and convert. Her work spans influencer marketing, content creation, UGC production, photography, and long-form editorial writing. Supported by a loyal, travel-loving community across TikTok, Instagram, Youtube, and her blog. Learn more at walkaboot.ca
Félix Contant, Partnerships Manager, Stay22
Félix Contant leads global partnerships at Stay22, collaborating with over 500 creators to help drive millions in revenue into the hands of content creators worldwide. His work has played a key role in shaping Stay22’s creator program from a niche offering into one of the leading monetization tools in the travel content space. Learn more at stay22.com
Kateryna Topol, Travel Massive, Paths to Travel Magazine and North American Music Magazine, Quipmag
Kateryna has collaborated with major brands including Condor Airlines, Air Canada, Quebec by the Sea, Waterford Tourism, Visit Rochester, Chihuahua, Mexico, Marriott’s Autograph Collection, a wide range of hotels, PR firms and tourism boards across North America and abroad. Kateryna is the Travel Massive Toronto chapter lead, and the researcher behind The 2025 Creators & Travel Industry Report. Learn more at pathstotravel.com and quipmag.com
LIVE Webinar Details
🗓️ Date: Thursday July 31, 2025
⏰ Time: 11 AM - 12 PM EDT (1 Hour)
🎥 Recording will be available — sign up for the event to receive notifications.
Stay connected with us on Instagram at @travelmassiveTO, @travelmassive, and tag us in your posts using #TravelMassiveToronto, #TravelMassive on Instagram.
Link to event pageJoin the top travel innovators and leaders from South East Asia at Travel Massive Asia Conference 2025, in Da Nang, Vietnam on August 27th.
Travel Massive Asia Conference 2025 Da Nang will be hosted on Day 2 of HorecFex (26-27 August) — the premier technology event for the tourism and hospitality industry in Vietnam which attracts over 3,500 attendees and 80 exhibition booths. This year's event will focus on artificial intelligence (AI), digital business, and sustainable development in the tourism and hospitality industry.
Travel Massive will be hosting an exclusive full-day conference at HorecFex with a focus on building the future of travel: comprising of expert-led workshops, industry panels, destination presentations and an innovation pitch competition. The conference will also follow with industry networking with attendees, investors, and leading travel brands.
🏝️ The event will be hosted at the Ariyana Convention Centre, a 5-star conference facility built for the 25th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, located in the centre of the beachfront Ariyana Danang Tourism Complex. The site is just 10 minutes from the city and a short drive to Hoi An — a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its well preserved ancient town.
🇻🇳 Da Nang is the largest city in Central Vietnam and a regional hub for Vietnam's fast growing tourism market, which received 17.6 million international tourists in 2024 and is the 3rd largest travel destination in South East Asia. Vietnam's top inbound source markets include the United States, China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, India, and Russia.
👉 This is an exclusive event for: travel industry professionals, tourism operators, travel startups, verified travel influencers and KOLs, and relevant industry experts and media. This is a great opportunity to learn from and meet with like-minded professionals from across the tourism, hospitality, and online travel sectors in South East Asia and globally.
__EVENT_CUSTOM_BLOCK__
Program and topics
🤖 (Workshop) Optimize your Online Presence with ChatGPT, Deep Search and Agentic AI
💻 (Workshop) Creating New Products and Marketing Ideas with AI Coding Tools
🤝 Choosing and working successfully with Influencers & KOLs
🇻🇳 Future Trends of Central Vietnam Tourism and Hospitality
✈️ New Innovations in OTAs and Travel Tech
🚀 Travel Startup Pitch Competition.
🌏 The Role of Community in Shaping the Future of Travel
🥂 Industry networking, followed by exclusive after-party
Full program and speakers to be announced soon.
Travel startups can apply to pitch at tmsv.co/danang-2025-startup-pitch
Tickets and Registration
Registration for Travel Massive Asia Conference 2025 Da Nang (27 August) is complimentary for Travel Massive members and includes entry to HorecFex Hospitality Exhibition and Forum (26-27 August).
• Morning workshops are limited to 100 seats.
• The post-event after-party in Da Nang city will be ticketed separately.
To secure your spot at Travel Massive Asia Conference 2025 Da Nang:
✅ Register on this official event page on Travel Massive
✅ Complete your free registration for HorecFex at horecfex.com/en/
FAQ: Where to stay / how to get there:
• The event will be hosted at the Ariyana Convention Centre in Da Nang, Vietnam.
• The official hotel is Furama Resort Danang (a 10 minute walk to the convention centre)
• There are many accommodation options nearby the convention centre, and in Da Nang city.
• Fly direct to Da Nang International Airport (DAD) from international hubs including Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo, or transit via Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) or Hanoi.
• Bus and train from HCMC (Saigon) to Da Nang for as low as $20 USD (full day or overnight trip)
• We recommend to extend your stay to explore Hoi An and Central Vietnam!
Questions or need advice? Contact us at danang@travelmassive.com
Link to event pageJoin us as we connect, brainstorm and analyze the future of travel in West Africa's largest cosmopolitan city of aquatic splendour. Mark your calendar!
More details to come...
Link to event pageNoVacancy, held at the world-class ICC Sydney on 17 & 18 September 2025, is the biggest and most important annual event for professionals in the hotel and accommodation industry.
Access big developments in new brands and product launches, essential education and industry insights, crucial networking, and serious deal-making. It’s all here waiting to be experienced.
Discover 300+ leading exhibitors and innovators on the NoVacancy expo floor.
From sourcing new products to exploring industry trends and experiencing live demos, this is your chance to connect with exhibitors showcasing the latest tools, tech and services designed to elevate your hotel operations and guest experience - all in one place.
Targeted and focused, we’re bringing the best minds, hottest case studies and brutally honest panel discussions together for two days of gripping knowledge sharing at NoVacancy.
Learn from leading experts from: Accor Group, Accommodation Australia, Amadeus, HSMAI, Ovolo Hotels, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels, Marriott International, Colliers International, Salter Brothers Hospitality, CrystalBrook Collection, Transport & Tourism Forum, TFE Hotels, SiLANT, The Langham Group and many many more.
This is your opportunity to make smart connections, gather insights, and get business done, all in one place. Secure Your Free Ticket Today.
Link to event pageTravel Tech Asia is where the latest technologies, emerging trends, leading travel brands and innovative startups are all at one place to create the new possibilities of travel.
Join hundreds of influential executives and thousands of attendees across sectors in the travel industry for three days of unparalleled networking potential. Travel Tech Asia is the premium platform for travel intermediaries to network and exchange innovative ideas in technology and business excellence.
Our 3-day conference programme agenda features handpicked speakers covering the must-know topics with applicable case studies. From the latest developments in AI, AR and VR to the newest technologies in data management and cutting-edge topics in blockchain, biometrics and super travel apps - everything you need to know is on the agenda.
Travel Tech Asia is organised by the team behind ITB Asia, and MICE Show Asia, making it part of the largest travel trade show in Asia Pacific.
Travel Tech Asia 2024 Event Highlights
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBCsHJ2oyJI
Deep dive into Hotel Technology with the newly expanded Hotel Tech cluster of Travel Tech Asia.
Explore the latest reservation systems, equipments, advanced AI tools, CRM platforms, design and sustainability initiatives that enhance their properties and guest experience.
If you’re involved in agency/hotel sales, senior commercial management, e-commerce, IT, marketing, revenue management, direct booking, or distribution, we invite you to join us. Secure your ticket today!
Link to event pageGet ready to elevate the tourism industry with the most cutting-edge technology showcased at TIS2025!
Join us from October 22nd to 24th 2025, as we explore the latest trends and technological solutions that are transforming the travel industry. This year Tourism Innovation Summit (TIS) 2025 offers you a unique opportunity to showcase your latest and greatest advancements to +8,000 Tourism professionals.
In an increasingly connected and innovative world, the tourism sector is transforming. The fusion between the travel industry and technology is opening up a world of endless possibilities. From trip planning to destination experiences, every aspect of the traveler’s journey is being reinvented thanks to technological advances. From intuitive mobile applications to augmented reality systems, innovation is elevating the way we explore the world. In this journey towards the future, TIS 2025 stands as the epicenter of change.
TIS 2024 Post-Show Highlights: Elevating Travel Industry with Tech
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFAxvxI8CuE
Secure your ticket to Tourism Innovation Summit 2025 today.
Link to event pageHere's the 10 latest classified ads:
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