Skift Take

Bringing travelers together with themselves, outside of the local craze that's enveloping travel , theoretically sounds like it would be popular. The focus must be eliminating the "random stranger" feel to create digital familiarity before travelers meet in person.

This week’s travel startup watch is all about connecting travelers with themselves wherever they are. These apps connect travelers through digital tools that aim to make connections that are useful and interesting to each party and share those connections and experiences and friends and family back home.

>>Tripstir lets travelers share their upcoming trips and get notified of overlaps with the people they’re following and search for a user or city and date combination to see where others are planning to go.

SkiftTake: Sharing that you’re traveling often happens on the day of departure on a traveler’s social networks. If Tripstir can generate enough buzz, it could help start the conversation of travel with friends and family a lot sooner.

>>Keeptrax allows travel agencies and tour operators to provide their clients with a private, branded mobile app that captures places visited, photos taken, distances traveled and other interesting travel facts during their trips and delivers the content in a concise travelogue format.

SkiftTake: If Keeptrax can find a way to integrate this with travelers’ already robust social networks it could have a future of helping them look back on their trips.

>>HitchHike is a user-based and geo-fenced mobile app helping travelers plan outdoors travel and spark a bond with the environment and also helps travelers connect with other outdoorsy people with shared interests nearby them in their destinations.

SkiftTake: Many times travelers take to the great outdoors to get away from others and technology, so will they see value in something that brings more people into their lives and keeps smartphones in their hands when they might not be looking for that during their camping trips?

>>Expat Helpers is a site where people can book or hire a domestic helper and it’s targeted to expatriates who are new to a city and looking for local housework helpers.

SkiftTake: It can be confusing to find work or understand local labor laws in a foreign city, so if this new jobs board for expats can help bring some clarity to the process it might get the green light with travelers.

>>Get Out is a social network which gathers together varied travel experiences from extreme sports, such as skydiving, to gastronomic activities, in order to make you break out of your routine and find something interesting to do.

SkiftTake: Travelers always look for that adrenaline rush and they’re also probably more willing to try new and exciting things while traveling since they’re already likely outside their comfort zones.

For all of our SkiftSeedlings coverage, check out our archives here.

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