Creating a matrix for agents
Helping agents go from offline to online in one quick step, TripFactory enables them to join its vast marketplace where they can sell their products. It has recently partnered with AirCosta, thereby launching the holiday portal aircosta.tripfactory.com.
Merging the two worlds of travel and technology, Vinay Gupta made his debut with Via.com in 2006. Seven years later, he launched TripFactory along with Amit Aggarwal with the objective of creating a platform that integrates a range of travel products at best prices directly sourced from travel companies while also providing a personalised shopping and booking experience for the end travellers.
TripFactory not only brings offline travel companies to the online world, but also bundles products from suppliers efficiently. Explaining his product further, the co-founder and CEO, says, “We work with tour operators, experts and activity providers to update their knowledge and bring their content online, making it accessible to millions of travellers. We help them join our vast marketplace where they can sell their products and packages to consumers. It is like aggregation of many entre- preneurs on one big platform and this offers win-win situation to all—end user customer, travel agents and us.”
Every travel expert has a dedicated page on the TripFactory platform, which offers them tools to create their entire website which is powered by TripFactory for free. “There are also other tools like real- time chat with visitors, analytics, payments as a service, etc. A lot of travel experts have grown their businesses up to 40 per cent without any investment or expenditure through this platform,” Gupta adds.
It recently partnered with AirCosta. Under the partnership, it launched a holiday portal aircosta. tripfactory. com. This partnership enables customers to book packages and hotels combined with AirCosta flights at competitive rates. He says, “This is our flagship feature: of bundling hotel brands with special airfares, which results in savings of up to 40 per cent. This benefits both independent business travellers and SMEs.”
The packages in the new portal include flights, hotels, car transfers and sightseeing options. The platform also powers holiday portals of SpiceJet and GoAir.
Co-headquarted in India and in the US, TripFactory thrives on a collaborative model that enables seamless collaboration between various stakeholders of the industry. Hence, every transaction involves travel agents. They sell one or more of their offerings combined with offerings from other players.
“We are a travel technology platform that organises the world’s travel knowledge and products, offer unbiased advice, present a range of travel products at best prices directly sourced from travel companies. Our platform enables customers to browse travel products using semantic search technology,” he said.