NEW YORK — Explor VR has been handpicked by Virtuoso to take part in the luxury retail organization’s Virtuoso Incubator tech start-up program, one of five companies chosen for the 2017 lineup. Explor VR is Travelweek’s virtual reality platform that launched nation-wide last fall, with free Explor VR headsets going out to travel agencies across Canada.
Virtuoso Incubator is aimed at fostering technology that improves the travel advising process and overall client experience. It’s the industry’s first formal program focused on nurturing new technology solutions specifically for travel advisors. Incubator companies receive real-world input from Virtuoso advisors who test the product and suggest improvements so it will better serve the needs of travel agencies, consultants and clients.
Each company receives a dedicated panel composed of Virtuoso advisors. More than 60 of them are volunteering in this capacity, with a member of Virtuoso’s Technology Committee acting as each panel’s liaison to the Incubator program. The Technology Committee also assists with vetting applicants and approving the companies that are offered Virtuoso preferred partner status.
“Virtuoso Incubator was founded to fill a void in the travel advising industry,” said David Kolner, Senior VP, Global Member Partnerships at Virtuoso. “Our objective was to seek out business solutions for our travel agency members and create a real-life use case scenario for companies that were developing the technology we needed. The value to these tech companies is tremendous because we’re giving them access to their future customers, who are also providing feedback in real time. What we’re getting in return is the opportunity to create customized technology options for agencies ranging from just a couple of people to hundreds.”
This year’s five Virtuoso Incubator participants are:
- Explor VR: Travelweek’s app-based virtual reality platform tailored for the travel industry. It guides users on an immersive, emotionally engaging journey through a destination, leading to dramatically increased sales conversion rates and foot traffic. In addition, it educates advisors on destinations.
- Approach Guides: Its Trip Reads destination content service – featuring inspirational and thought-provoking videos, articles, books and podcasts – highlights cultural aspects of places around the world.
- TravelContact (formerly Alanna): A CRM technology that includes a client and provider database, email and newsletter marketing platform, smart multichannel communication, beginning-to-end trip builder, interactive client portal and a smart dashboard where advisors can see daily tasks.
- Tagible: Software that extracts keywords, making the words interactive and overlaying curated content such as YouTube, Google Maps and Pinterest. Drives engagement and increase conversion rate and time on site by keeping visitors on the agency’s website.
- tripFiles: A free private social network where travelers can store all their videos and photos at no charge, safely share trips, and never need to email/text photos to their travel companions.
Virtuoso Incubator also has a new partnership with Phocuswright, the global travel market research company. Phocuswright is referring innovative travel technology startups to the program, and sharing its research into the sector with Virtuoso as well as attendees at its exclusive network events.
For more information see virtuoso.com/incubator.
