Umapped unlocks social marketing after beta group trip planning tests

Umapped unlocks social marketing after beta group trip planning tests

Collaborative trip planning service start-up Umapped is offering its platform for tour operators and travel agents to over-brand to make their offering more social.

Collaborative trip planning service start-up Umapped is offering its platform for tour operators and travel agents to over-brand to make their offering more social.

The Canadian company was launched three months ago and has just completed a beta period in Italy and the US with two clients.

Thierry Wong, chief technology officer, said the next big release for the service will be to enable trade partners to increase revenues.

“We will try to allow the travel agent or tour operator to upsell during the trip so they have not finished the job once they have taken the holiday booking,” Wong said.

He added that initial feedback has been positive and that although there are other trip planning applications available, he believes what Umapped is offering is different.

It is specifically targeted at the leisure market and works offline, so the information collated in the trip is available to travellers even when they do not have an internet connection.

It also does not share the information in the wider social web as other apps seek to do by default. “It creates a web journal for the experience.

“We think travel is private, so by default it does not share it. You are the owner, you control it.

“You can start a trip, invite friends and start building the itinerary, and as you add things it shows up on you mobile device.”

Umapped’s business-to-business offering gives partners a content management system that allows them to upload their own information like destination guides, photographs and videos.

Wong said this enables them to provide a better experience to their customers and to do some social marketing.

Umapped operates a transaction-based commercial model with no set-up costs or licensing fees. It simply charges a flat fee once a trip or itinerary is published on the platform.