Startup Company LOVU Launches Crowdfunding Campaign for Romance Travel Booking App

By James White | Saturday, 12 June 2021 | Startup, Travel, Tech

Sometimes a romantic getaway is just what a couple needs to take a break from their busy lives and reconnect with each other. However, the logistics of planning and booking a romantic vacation can be overwhelming, and using a third-party app or agent can easily become very expensive when factoring in commission from the sale. In an effort to provide couples with romantic trips for an affordable price, travel tech startup company LOVU recently launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for its romance travel booking app.

"Romance travel is a huge, underserved travel segment that needs highly personalized, customized products, price offerings, and booking experiences that only direct relationships between hoteliers, travelers, and experienced travel advisors can provide," said Shri Lildharrie, founder of the startup. "The LOVU app is designed to be a fun, gamified user experience, eliminating the countless hours couples spend researching and booking romantic trips."

LOVU would like to raise at least $5,000 for its app through the campaign to help the team develop its software. The travel tech startup has also set a stretch goal of $35,000, which LOVU claims will allow the company to fast-track the development of the app and begin a marketing campaign to build its user base.

Presently, the campaign for the travel tech business has generated about $750 for the company from three investors, and the project still has just shy of two months to go. According to the campaign page for the startup business, the travel tech company would like to “make LOVU happen” as early as fall 2021.

Putting Users in Control of Their Milestone Getaways

Lildharrie founded the New York-based travel tech business alongside entrepreneur Artyom Sklyarov. Between the two of them, the founders bring years of experience in the fields of hospitality and travel technology to LOVU. The startup business asserts that by cutting out the middleman, it is able to pass on cost savings to consumers and create more direct relationships between customers and venues like resorts, cruises, and hotels.

The LOVU app will be entirely free to couples attempting to book trips through the service. Instead of generating revenue from users, the startup company is offering premium subscriptions to businesses that will spotlight their services on the app. LOVU aims to incentivize hotels to use the platform by not charging a commission on direct bookings that users make with a business. Consumers booking through the app will be provided with a number of four and five-star locations vetted by the LOVU team.

Disrupting the Travel App Industry

Market research projects the global online travel industry to value $1 trillion by 2022. LOVU intends to disrupt a market full of competition with a solution that is specifically geared toward romantic vacations and events. The US wedding market alone is valued at roughly $55 billion, according to market research firm ISISWorld. The travel tech startup will face competition from heavy hitters in the industry, including Expedia, Bookings.com, and Trivago. However, with a business model that cuts commission costs from customer fees and an app that targets a more focused audience, LOVU does offer a unique option for couples that are planning milestone vacations.

About the Author

James White

James White is a Michigan State University graduate with a BS in Environmental Biology. He is interested in reporting emerging trends in technology, especially with regard to alternative energy and environmental conservation.