Embrace Active Cultural Holidays with Travelody

Benjamin Segura of Travelody helps travellers discover exciting getaways and street parties to enjoy and feel the culture like locals. 

Ben is the business developer at Travelody and part of our Barcelona Travel Massive chapter. We’ve asked Benjamin a few questions to get a better idea of what exactly sparked this creative interest in the first place.

Who is your startup for?

Travelody is for active people who want an exciting getaway. If you travel to take a rest, to switch off from work… this is definitely not the place for you.

We encourage travellers to attend performances, music concerts, dance and meet people. If you want to explore a new place, get to know culture like locals and engage in activities, Travelody is for you.

What inspired you to create this startup? 

I love travelling.

Some of the best moments in my life happened while travelling. I remember how much I enjoyed my vacation when there was a street festival (or similar) taking place during my travels. It was awesome! My getways were epic.

After talking with friends, I realized that many of them find the same excitement in local festivals and events. Then the great idea came to life.

What makes your startup different from other similar startups out there?

Travelody does not focus on the place you travel to but on the experiences you want to have. You can to the same destinations over and over again and your experiences will be always different and unique, events are always changing. 

Every single week we offer different trips. 

Do you have any tips for new entrepreneurs who want to create a successful startup?

• Never focus on money: If you base your decisions on money, chances are that you will think short term, while good decisions are often made on long term goals. 
• Focus on sales: Sales is the most important KPI. Focus on sales from day zero. You will see what customers buy and what they don’t buy… and that may completely change your business.
• Choose a proven business model: If you choose a proven business model and you know it works, then you can invest your time on creating more value.
• Only 2 roles are needed: Someone who builds the service and someone who sells it.
• You can’t do it all.
• Work on your passion: Invest your time on something you are proud of. It is easier when you love what you are doing and you are totally devoted to creating something awesome. 

 As a startup, what benefits have you seen from being a part of Travel Massive meetups? 

For me the biggest benefit is that you can meet people that share your interests and build strong relationships with them while re-discovering travel industry from several perspectives.

I attended one event last June in here in Barcelona and I was surprised how many people were in attendance and how many of them were international. This gave me the opportunity to interact with people from different countries. I had a great time and got to learn about the travel industry from a social perspective and from a offline company perspective.
   

Travel Start-Up is a monthly series that profiles unique online travel start-ups in the Travel Massive community around the world. You can connect with Benjamin and Travelody on Travel Massive and Facebook.