Two years after launching a consumer-facing trip planning tool, Utrip has set its sights on destinations. Pamela Whitby catches up with the founder

Travel – which not that long ago may have looked something like getting on a bus from A to B and finding yourself in a moth-eaten hotel - is not what it used to be. With the rise of the internet consumers today have much more choice. Arguably too much, which is where trip-planning tools have stepped in to help.

So how do road warriors plan their perfect trip today? And can a trip-planning tool really deliver the goods when everybody wants a different experience?

Gilad Berenstein, founder and chief executive of trip-planning solution Utrip, says it's possible through a combination of machine learning, other algorithmic approaches and unique human created content. “We have a small in house team and we also draw on a small pool of high-profile local experts from artists to historians and restaurateurs to curate featured itineraries and make unique local recommendations,” he says.

After all, while it’s true to say that everybody is looking for a different experience, you can probably count on the fact that most travellers wouldn’t say no to insider knowledge with a difference. And that is something that Utrip is counting on.

New opportunities

This week the consumer-facing travel planning solution, now used by 200,000 people, launched a white label solution. Its first user is to be adopted by the forward-thinking marketing team at visitdallas.com. Visitors to the destination’s website will now be able to create customised itineraries for one of the largest cities in Texas.

While this may not mean much to anybody outside of Dallas, Utrip has Ken Downing, senior vice-president and fashion director for Neiman Marcus, Vicki Meek, a renowned artist and curator and Stephan Pyles, a well-known author and chef all penning the delights of their favourite spots in city. According to Berenstein, the idea is not to offer 100s of options but rather a few really well thought through ones from respected local folk who are passionate about the destination and sharing their stories.

While the human touch brings users unique experiences, Oren Etzioni, professor of artificial intelligence at the University of Washington, and member of Utrip’s advisory group, says their technology ensures that travellers won’t be sent to a museum that is closed on Tuesdays or to the beach in winter.

The good news for this young company is that the demand for white label solutions appears to be there. Berenstein says that within days of launching in 2012, they were already being contacted by destination marketing organisations (DMOs), which were looking for a white label partner.

“At the time we just didn’t have the bandwidth to do so,” he says. While still a small team, Utrip has identified around 3,000 DMOs, which could be partners. Hotels too are looking for trip-planning solutions to offer their guests– another target market.

To date, revenues have come from commissions from partners like Expedia and Hostelbookers. But Utrip is now looking to expand the options for consumers to book a range of different products – from tours to tickets and activities. Fresh revenues, it is hoped, will come from these white label partnerships.

Funding growth is the next challenge. The firm recently raised $750,000 to continue developing the product but will look to fundraise again in the near future so that it can continue to target new customers – consumers, DMOs and hotels - around the world.

So where does an entrepreneur like Berenstein see the opportunities, and what will travel planning look like in the next five years?

Berenstein’s top three trends

1.      Perfect personalisation: This will be the single biggest theme as travel has changed and it’s going to continue to change. There is no right way to see Rome. Every trip is different and personal and there are lots of different options emerging for different scenarios – think travelling with a significant other, your mother or your family. 

2.      Consolidation with a kick: Given the Expedia statistic that the average traveller looks at 35 different sources when planning a trip, there is plenty of scope to continue to consolidate a range of travel products in one place – think Getyourguide, Viator and more. 

3.      More sharing and caring: The sharing economy will continue to grow and we’ll probably see more companies coming on line with inventory that hasn’t been available before.