PURSE STRINGS: TRIPTROTTING, INC.

Have you ever gone on a trip and wished you had a best friend or personal tour guide to show you around town?  Well, when you prepare to plan your next getaway, you may want to include Triptrotting, Inc. in the process.

Triptrotting, Inc. connects travelers with locals at their destination to personalize and enhance the overall travel experience. We recently caught up with Triptrotting’s Co-founder Shana Zeng to learn more about how she and her partners Aigerim Shorman and Shawn Faison are bringing the social networking experience to the travel industry.

WilesWHAT WAS THE IMPETUS FOR ESTABLISHING TRIPTROTTING?

SZ: Aigerim and I are both graduates of USC and so, yes, we met in college.  We’d both traveled extensively through study abroad programs. We wanted to go beyond the generic tourist experience but had found it difficult to find people in other countries to relate to or interact with. We just weren’t getting the experience we were looking for.  After graduation, we both went into corporate jobs, but neither of us was passionate about what we were doing, so we decided to create something we could become passionate about.  From our past experiences, we’d felt a pain point regarding travel. Triptrotting, Inc. was born in response to that.

 

Wiles:  HOW DO YOUR INDIVIDUAL SKILLSETS COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER AND BLEND INTO A SEAMLESS PARTNERSHIP?

SZ: Aigerim and I both have business backgrounds, so we divide marketing, financing, product, and strategy work and responsibilities very well between us. Our tech co-founder Shawn Faison, brings a solid technical background to the company.  All of us have lived abroad, and so we really “get” what travelers want, and we work together to provide a great service.

 

Wiles: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT TRAVELERS FACE THAT TRIPTROTTING HELPS TO ADDRESS?

SZ: Most people are looking for an authentic travel experience but when visiting a foreign country, they don’t know anyone who lives there.  Ultimately, they end up being limited to the typical, mundane travel experiences and destinations. Triptrotting wants to re-define the travel experience by connecting travelers with local people who can help to offer travelers a more personalized experience.

 

Wiles: HOW DOES TRIPTROTTING WORK?

SZ: Customers visit our site – www.triptrotting.com – and join, as a member for free. Once you’re a member, you can browse through the site to find people and different activities in the destination you’re visiting. Like typical social networking sites, you’ll be able to see full profiles of people you can meet up with. Everyone on the site undergoes a comprehensive verification process and, once a member has been properly screened, they are able to send direct messages to and connect with other members on the site. Members can follow other people who are currently visiting a destination, get recommendations on upcoming events and activities and learn about things they can participate in while they’re traveling.

 

Wiles: PLEASE DESCRIBE HOW TRIPTROTTING EMPLOYS THE PHILOSOPHY OF SOCIAL MEDIA AS COMMUNITY.

SZ: We have a different take on what “social” means. We believe the thing about traveling is the opportunity to connect with people that you would never normally meet. The concept of social media in travel has traditionally been limited to online booking and getting recommendations from friends, etc.  We care about the experience that travelers have once they reach their destinations, and so we offer them an opportunity to connect with people on the ground who can give them a richer experience.  Being about to have a face- to-face interaction with local people when traveling helps us broaden our horizons and promotes real cultural exchange by exposing us to new things and forcing us out of comfort zones.

The idea that you can meet up with locals and have a deeper, more authentic travel experience is exciting. Imagine having a friend at your destination who’s there ahead of time and can give you tips and recommendations about interesting things to do versus blindly going to a place and having to figure it out on your own.

For more information about Triptrotting, Inc. please check out their website at: www.triptrotting.com

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