Easter and the brief holiday that follows it mark the beginning of the spring getaways and they bring tourists closer and closer to the summer holidays. In recent years, the way of doing tourism and contracting these services has changed drastically, a transformation that has accelerated in recent times due to the COVID-19 pandemic stimulating the digitalisation of the tourism sector.
As one of the most important drivers of our country’s economy, the millions of tourists that visit us every year generate new opportunities that encourage many entrepreneurs to create innovative businesses within this sector.
Today, two years after the start of the pandemic, and despite the complications arising from the war in Ukraine and the increase in prices, tourism in Spain continues its recovery and, if forecasts do not fail, Easter 2022 could bring occupancy figures similar to those of 2019 for the hotel sector of the Valencian Region.
Nowadays, startups are generating innovative and disruptive ideas that reach millions of users who have a large amount of information and a wide variety of options. For these startups, technology has become the essential element to position their brand and meet the needs of their customers.
Innovation applied to the organisation and contracting of trips and outings facilitates these procedures for users and also transforms the way of enjoying the experience.
Startups that are transforming the tourism sector
Startup Valencia has 11 startups among its members that are revolutionising the tourism sector. Digitalisation improves the decision-making process for users and allows for progress in aspects such as preparation, through immersive reality technologies or Big Data. Examples of startups that offer solutions in this sense are: AR Vision, which through Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality creates a completely personalised experience for the user; Ydigital, which generates experiences for customers and visitors to its establishments, towns and counties through digitalisation and technology; and Play&go experience, a company that creates gamified digital experiences that connect the physical and digital worlds.
In terms of contracting and planning activities, the innovation focuses on improving the user experience. The Valencian startups operating in this field are: GuruWalk, the international community of free tours that connects travellers with guides around the world; Boatjump, which has created an online boat rental portal that was created with the aim of allowing any boat enthusiast to rent boats easily and at the best possible price; Howlanders, a booking portal for tourist excursions specialising in Latin America; and Moontels, which is dedicated to renting accommodation and provides a wide variety of services and multicultural offerings to make your stay exclusive and comfortable.
A more innovative and responsible tourism sector
The transformation of the tourism sector has not only taken place in the way that the customer relates to the service or how the trip and the stay are organised; the companies operating in the sector have also changed their objectives and values, and aligned them with social demands towards a more responsible and sustainable activity.
Respect for the environment and a commitment to clean energy is a trend in tourism. In order to reduce the carbon footprint of companies in the sector, ClimateTrade connects companies that need to offset their CO2 emissions with environmental projects.
To bring sustainability and efficiency to business travel management processes, Consultia Travel offers a comprehensive solution for corporate travel through cloud-based software and a personalised consultancy service.
Honimunn specialises in honeymoons and combines all the advantages of online travel agencies with the personalisation and service of physical agencies.
GrowPro Experience creates unique study and work experiences in international destinations such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Spain. It advises students looking to live abroad while furthering their education and opening new horizons.
The tourism sector is in the midst of a transformation and these 11 startups are a good example of this.
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