Startup Business Luxury Travel Hackers Launches Influencer-Driven Travel Booking Platform

By James White | Friday, 11 June 2021 | Startup, Travel, Tech

Social media is flush with influencers who share their life experiences with followers. Many influencers travel the world to scenic environments and luxury vacation destinations, drawing the interest of those filled with wanderlust. Startup business Luxury Travel Hackers recently launched a new travel booking platform with curated adventures based on social media posts and influencer activity.

"Planning a trip can be stressful, time-consuming and feel out of reach as travelers are spending an additional 7.5 hours of research on multiple websites to build the vacation just presented to them,” said Gary Kohn, founder of the travel tech company. “Our web experience provides travel options for all discerning tastes and personalities, while taking the guesswork out of the planning."

Alongside the launch announcement for the startup business, Luxury Travel Hackers also announced the closing of a seed financing round led by Thomas B. Mangas of Centerfire Capital. According to Crunchbase, the travel tech company has raised a total of $725,000 over the course of two seed funding rounds. Luxury Travel Hackers plans to introduce a premium membership program to the travel platform built by the business “later this summer.”

Adventures Curated by Social Media

Co-founded in 2020 by Kohn and entrepreneur Katie Warner, the travel tech business seeks to harness the power of social media and influencer marketing to bring custom vacations to travelers. Rather than simply watching videos of amazing vacations, Luxury Travel Hackers allows travelers to take part in the journey.

Users begin by describing their interests and budget for their vacation to the travel tech business. Then, the well-traveled team at the startup company uses the information to curate a selection of destinations to choose from, as well as accommodations, events, and transportation for the entire length of the trip. Users may select from a number of templates offered by the travel tech company, including socially distanced vacations, adventurous journeys, wellness trips, and more.

Beyond building a custom trip, the startup company works with influencers to craft vacations just like the ones they stream to their followers. Luxury Travel Hackers has already established influencer Lina Lindholm (@linaxmuse on Instagram) as a brand ambassador for the travel tech business. Influencers simply work with the startup company to build packages based on trips they have already taken, offer packages to their followers, and the startup takes care of the rest. Luxury Travel Hackers splits the revenue from influencer packages evenly with the partner.

"LTH was created to disrupt an archaic system and to completely change the travel booking landscape,” said Warner. “We are offering travel enthusiasts a seamless experience and removing the surprises when making a financial and time investment on your next trip."

Entering the Competitive Travel Tech Market

The startup company will find plenty of competition in the expanding travel tech industry. Market research projects the global travel technologies market to grow by over $1.5 billion from 2021 to 2025. Luxury Travel Hackers will have to compete for space in the market with leaders like Expedia and Booking.com, though the startup business takes a unique approach by incentivizing popular social media influencers to market its services.

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.