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Asia, Travel Startups

StayMarta Offers Christian Accommodations and Adventures

Sten Ivan, Founder of StayMarta, helps travelers to find Christian friendly accommodations and adventures around the world.

With such a specific niche, we definitely had a few questions to ask Sten about where the inspiration came from and what their exciting plans are for the future.

We’re also excited to share some more information with you about Sten because he’s one of our newest chapter leaders for Travel Massive Bali!

James and I

What inspired you to create this startup?

I started StayMarta because initially, I couldn’t find an easier way to connect and stay with other Christians throughout my travels in the past. I was a missionary volunteering at a Children’s home in Honduras, and I remember I wanted to connect with other missionaries in Guatemala but it was difficult to plan a trip and find a host to stay. It’s not because I want to be exclusive and refuse to stay in regular hostels or non-Christian hosts (I do it all the time!), I simply wanted to connect with people with similar values as mine. StayMarta lets you list and book various types of short-term lodgings and adventures. We are providing safe accommodations and trips with Christian values that travelers can book through our online platform.

We want to build a thriving community of hosts and travelers through a Christian hospitality experience.

How did you build your startup?

With no money and a whole lot of hope! The idea started in April last year, but I started working on it actively in September. I use a simple WordPress site to test the idea, it generated enough interest to prompt me to find a team of volunteers and working on the new website with better functionalities.

How did you get your startup off the ground and gaining traction?

I created a landing page back in April and asked a lot of my peers and mentors. It gained some interest, so I proceeded with a prototype website and started telling our friends about it. My good friend and co-founder James Fraundorf helped me build our user base organically. We rely a lot on social media such as Facebook and talking to the right group of people also really helped to put our name out there.

How is your startup changing the future of the industry or helping to make travel better?

Our vision is to create a world where people can experience Christian hospitality that is loving, friendly, and welcoming. I think people think Christians tend to be judgmental and intolerant, and I’d like to show the world what we’re supposed to do: to love others. I believe StayMarta can become a safe place not only for Christians but also for others who want to experience a different type of hospitality.

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

You’ll want to give up many times because there are many challenges, but always remember why you’re doing it in the first place.

If you feel lost, step back a little and cool off then move forward. Often time, it’s not always about us or what we want, there’s a bigger picture and we need to focus on that. Be humble and ask help from others when you’re stuck. You can accomplish more on a team then working on your own. An African proverb says: If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.

Me and the kids in Honduras


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 Sten and StayMarta on Travel Massive, Facebook, and Twitter


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