Technology’s tide shows no sign of stopping any time soon, with new companies continuing to innovate and completely change industries we associate with exploring the world, some of which had been dominated by established giants for decades before the young upstarts came along.
One area which is particularly active right now involves how we make our bookings. Air BnB obviously revolutionised finding accommodation options, but that was really just the very beginning. Inspired, we put our travel PR hats on, and considered some of the most ingenious ideas staff here on Bridge Street have come across recently. Here are five; welcome to the future.

Air BnB Tours

Last year Air BnB branched out from its core market, and began offering people tailor-made tours of the cities they stay in. That sounds like a fantastic concept, then you learn residents of those cities could put themselves forward as guides, with unique specialisms- for example knowledge of the best restaurants or coolest music venues- and earn some extra cash in the process.
[Tweet “Booking disruptors every #travelPR should know by @SmokingGunPR”]

Recharge Rooms

Let’s face it, in a globalised world where flights are basically buses in the air, people are not necessarily going to be in a single place for a whole night, or two, but they still need a place to dump their stuff, shower, and grab 40 winks. Introducing Recharge, an app that allows you to book into great hotels, and only pay for the actual time you’re in the room.

Spokefly

Bicycle hire is incredibly popular with travellers, particularly in European cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, and Copenhagen. The problem is, finding somewhere to rent a bike from may not be that convenient. Unless you use Spokefly, a peer-to-peer bike rental service that allows users to get two wheels in minutes with just a few clicks on their phone.

Car 2 Go Black

Car 2 Go’s original concept- rent a car in a city and return it to any location- was flawed in that it did not allow people to travel between regions. Hence Black, currently being piloted in Germany, which basically means customers can pick up a car in one town, drive to another, and leave it anywhere for the company to collect. Needless to say, we’re expecting big things from this.
[Tweet “Hotel rooms by the minute, #VR vacations, and more – #travelPR – @SmokingGunPR”]

VR Vacations

OK, so this isn’t actually a specific business, but it is coming our way fast and will slowly change the way we think of holidays. Virtual Reality is growing in potential by the day, and already the likes of Quantas, Etihad, and United Airlines, alongside hotel groups such as Marriott and Hilton, are experimenting with the ultimate staycations- experience locations around the world, from the comfort of home. An end to jetlag may be close then.

Looking for more advice on PR, social media, and marketing? Why not get in contact or submit a brief to inject a little ingeniousness into your brand.