ORMA Guides suggests attractions and brands directly involved in improving their cities by giving back part of their earnings to local non-profit projects, hiring disadvantaged people or sourcing food from community gardens. They are genuine shops run by locals, often on non-touristic paths.
🌟 What You'll Find 🗺️
ORMA is your gateway to discovering hidden gems, indulging in delicious local cuisine, supporting independent shops, and participating in impactful activities. Our curated guides (currently in Europe) include places to eat and drink, cozy stays, off-the-beaten-path wonders, escapes from the urban jungle, and local tours.
🔍 Our Guiding Principles 💎
ORMA is all about making mindful choices. We curate our guides based on inclusivity, cultural richness, support for the local economy, authentic craftsmanship, community building, non-profit commitment, zero-waste practices, ethical supply chains, urban greenery, sustainable mobility, and environmental and social education.
🌿 Let's Explore Responsibly 🌿
ORMA isn't just an app; it's a movement. We're committed to fostering sustainable travel, one city at a time. By downloading ORMA, you're becoming part of a global community that values responsible exploration.
It's time to explore with purpose and make every adventure count! Join us! 🌍✨
+ 420 others joined this month
Comments
Hello everyone,
Federico from ORMA Guides here! :)
We're a responsible travel startup based in Italy that provides a collection of guides of cool spots (such as restaurants, local shops, coffee shops, and hotels) that support the local community and the city itself.
These spots might be, for example, restaurants managed by non-profit organizations or vintage and second-hand local shops.
Our idea is that by visiting these places, you can leave the city better than you found it without completely changing your travel habits.
You can check out the Guides by downloading our app, "ORMA Guides," which is already available on the App Store and Google Play Store or simply via www.ormaguides.com
We are committed to fighting the negative effects of mass tourism, and we strongly believe that everyone has a responsibility in this. Let's travel with a positive impact!
It would be fantastic if you could download the app and provide us with some feedback, let's connect!
If you like it, please consider sharing it with your friends. Every download counts!
👉 P.S. If you own or know someone who owns or works in an accommodations business, feel free to send me a message. We are developing a cool product for them too!
Great idea
Thank you! :)
Hello, I'm Giulia from Orma Guides Team 👋
Thanks a lot for all the votes 💥
Let's travel in a way that makes a positive impact!
Discover your city or plan your next trip with our app, and feel good knowing that every place you visit and every activity you enjoy is contributing to a reduction in your impact.
Give our app a try, share your experiences, and help make a real difference with every place you explore.
Your journey just got even more meaningful!
DOWNLOAD THE APP on the App Store and Google Play Store 🌏
Congratulations Giulia and Federico!
Travelling with positive impact is what we promote at TravaPowa (find our page here on Travel Massive). We can try to have have a chat to share some thoughts about it :)
You also find a previous Discussion called "How do we bring impact travel to a larger audience?" here on TM
👇 Links
Hi Eugenio,
Thank you so much! I've had a look at TravaPowat, and it's impressive!
Sure, let's keep the conversation going. Connect with me on LinkedIn, and we can chat further there. I'd love to schedule a meeting for next week!
Thank you, Ian :)
Hi Federico and Giulia, thanks for sharing ORMA Guides on Travel Massive.
First of all, I LOVE your branding! It's fun, creative and human, and really makes you stand out. Bravo! 👏
Questions:
1. I wish I tried this out when I was in London (back in Tasmania now), which leads me to my first question: what cities are you going to curate next? (Suggestion: I think it would be fun to put this to a vote to your members, so that there's a bit of competition to "get on" the app.)
2. What are your plans for commercialising the app? e.g. affiliate sales, listing fees, or membership fees?
3. Last question: any plans to become B Corp certified?
Hi Ian,
Thanks for the support! It means a lot to us.
1. It's a secret.. we can't reveal that!! ahahah
Just kidding! :)
The next city will, for sure, be Amsterdam! We're also working on other major European cities (like Berlin, Lisbon, etc.) that will probably be published in January.
Thanks for the interesting suggestion; we'll definitely consider that in the future! Currently, many people are messaging us asking about the next city, with some wanting Rome, others Berlin, and others Athens. So, it's a good idea to go with the flow and keep building the hype!
2. We're currently testing and validating a freemium model with a premium subscription for B2C.
We launched it less than a month ago, so we need more time to assess the results.
In the coming months, we'll also be testing affiliate programs with bookings for tours/experiences and accommodations.
On the B2B side, we're concurrently working on three streams:
a. Selling tours to OTA/Tour Operators (we started the project with this model, and it went pretty well)
b. Selling a white-label version of the app and collaborating with clients (accommodations and public
administrations) to determine the content they want in the app, with us handling the content design.
Additionally, we're developing an impact calculator that will integrate with this white-label app, allowing clients to
gather data for their impact report.
c. Promoting spots in the app through a monthly/yearly subscription.
Essentially, restaurants/shops/accommodations will pay us to be highlighted in the app.
3. We're working on it! We're also striving to become a net-zero company, and the B Corp certification will follow suit. We hope to have everything settled by Q1/Q2 of 2024!
Thank you again! :)
Love this idea! Downloaded :)
Thank you, Joshua! :)
I've sent you a connection request on LinkedIn. I would love to get your thoughts on the app and the project. Feedback is crucial in this phase.
If you're open to it, we could have a quick chat on LinkedIn!
Stay safe! :)
Absolutely Federico! I'd love to find out more and discuss travel and ORMA with you.
I've accepted the requested, so I'm looking forward to discussing more on LinkedIn.
Hi Giulia and Federico!
I love the concept, we need more of this to shift to a more conscious and sustainable travel industry! Just downloaded the app and would love one on Rome!
Thank you, Benoit! I'm glad you like our idea. We're planning to expand in Rome as well!
I've added you on LinkedIn. If you're interested, we can continue our conversation there. I would love to hear more of your feedback, and perhaps we can explore potential partnership opportunities?
Hey Federico,
Just accepted your invitation!
Happy to jump on a call tomorrow or early next week!
Ciao folks,
It's been a while since the last update.
You know, we've been on this incredible journey together, exploring cities. But here's the thing – creating those awesome city guides is not easy. It takes a team of dedicated people, like city managers and local experts, to curate all the content.
Now, we've been doing this because we're passionate about spreading the sustainable travel love far and wide.
But lately, we've been doing some serious soul-searching, and we realized something important: to keep this project going and make it even better, WE NEED YOUR HELP.
So, here's the scoop: we're introducing a new way for you to support us by purchasing the city guides you want directly in App. You'll have the option to choose:
- 3 EUR / for a single city guide
- 9 EUR / for the entire catalog
Here's the best part – it's a ONE-OFF payment. Once you've paid, you'll have access to Orma Plus forever, and so you will enjoy each new piece of fresh content and discounts on selected places and offline maps on Google Maps
We're not here to sugarcoat things – change can be tough. We get it, and we're right there with you.
But trust us when we say that your help will make a world of difference and we want to thank you for the unwavering support you've always shown us.
With the code orma20, you'll get a fantastic 20% discount on the entire catalog and each individual guide.
Together, we can continue to explore, learn, and make a positive impact, one city at a time! 🌿💚
Thanks,
Federico
Hey guys, we're raising our Seed Round of Funding for ORMA Guides with a goal of €450K.
We’re looking for 15 believers who want to change the travel world with us. If interested to know more, write me! :)
ORMA Update:
Hi guys, it's been a while.
I'm excited to announce that we've just released our latest city guide: Berlin, Germany!
From the iconic Brandenburg Gate to the vibrant district of Kreuzberg, Berlin offers a tapestry of diverse neighborhoods waiting to be explored.
Discover hidden gems like Paolo Pinkel, a community hub offering upcycled treasures, and Sozialladen, a sustainable shopping destination. Immerse yourself in the world of independent cinema at Lichtblick-Kino, where captivating stories come to life on the screen.
And for a limited time, enjoy a 20% discount on any of our guides with the code ORMA20.
Stay safe,
Federico
Ciao travelers!
Big news from ORMA Guides: We’ve just launched our first 4 sustainable trips! :)
We didn’t just go big, we brought our guides to life. Yeah, you heard that right.
We believe we can offer more than just the best spots for your responsible trips. You’ve asked what more you could do beyond using our digital guides.
Well... we decided it was time to take the leap and launch our very first trips.
These aren’t just regular trips — they’re designed to help you grow and make a positive impact on the destinations. Every trip offers a unique experience, so we’ve teamed up with creators, communicators, and activists who are experts in areas like social innovation, politics, climate action, arts, and more.
Right now, we’ve got 4 trips lined up for October (yeah, off-season because we don’t want to be your typical tourists):
-Brussels with Sofia Pasotto, climate expert & activist, founder of Fridays For Future Italy.
Topic: European politics
-Freiburg with Giovanni Mori, energy engineer & politician, co-founder of Fridays For Future Italy.
Topic: Green urban innovation
-Ragusa with Gabriele Scrofani, science communicator passionate about ethology.
Topic: Nature conservation
-Abruzzo with Fill Pill, communicator, stand-up comedian & sustainability expert.
Topic: Wildlife & nature
And if that’s not exciting enough, we’ve got a special gift just for the Travel Massive community! Here’s an exclusive €50 discount you can use for any of the 4 trips. Here's the discount code: ORMAPROMO50
Want to know more? Head over to our brand new website -> www.ormaguides.com
Feel free to reach out if you need any more info.
Stay safe,
Fede from ORMA Guides
P.S. There are limited spots available, and we've already sold 40% of the tickets during our 5-day early booking period. So hurry up and secure your spot
Ciao everyone!
Things are going great at ORMA, and we’ve got some exciting news today: we’ve just launched a new trip to Baku, Azerbaijan, for the COP29!
This journey will be led by creators and activists Andrea Grieco (@andrea.grieco) and Greta Volpi (@greenonthebeam from LifeGate). Joining us as an expert on the topic is Roberta Bonacossa from Change for Planet.
The goal of the trip is to explain what the COP conferences are and give you a chance to witness firsthand how climate issues are discussed at the EU level through interactive exhibits, debates, and panels with experts.
Here’s the link for more details and to book your spot: www.ormaguides.com/trips/baku
If you’re interested in the trip, don’t hesitate to reach out! :) limited spots are available.
Stay safe!
Fede from ORMA Guides