Starting an Activity Travel Marketplace Platform

The Startup:
PlayTravl is an online adventure travel marketplace for outdoor enthusiasts to connect with merchants from all over the globe, seamlessly.

The Concept:
We realized and see such a great potential to approach the travel industry with a new platform that allow user to create a social connection with merchants and other users for easier planning, booking and traveling altogether. With the introduction and implementation of such platform, users will experience and a much smoother process and experience ease of planning, connecting, communicating and booking of such activities of interest.

We're also providing a platform for freelancers and merchants (venues / instructors / guides / agencies) to find their preferred work and connect with users and other merchant to create a better promotions and plan a more robust promotional campaign strategies that would better appeal to the users. We pride in providing the opportunities to the local freelancers to leverage on the freelance economy.

The Story:
Just a few months back, I was sent on a work trip to Bandung, Indonesia to attend to some issues offshore. As soon as I've settle all my work, I decided stay over the weekend at my own expense mainly because my offshore colleagues keep telling me about a bike park that I have to visit before I leave and so I did.

To my astonishment as I was brought up to the bike park, I thought to myself, how awesome the place is and how I wish my riding buddies were there with me to experience it for the first time together.

After a fun day riding the bike park, I was introduced to the people who created and maintained the park themselves. We hit it off and share experiences from all the places we've been from all over the world. It was a fun weekend, one that I will not forget so soon.

Back in Singapore, I shared my experience and pictures that I took in Bandung, Indonesia on my social media and within minutes I received a bunch of comments and feedback asking for the location, contact information and even directions.

In the spur of the moment, an idea came to mind and I was inspired. This led to PlayTravl.