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Travel app for discussions and reviews about cities and locations with reward points for engaging responses

A travel discussion app where users can discuss cities, places, and locations, post reviews, and ask questions. Users earn points for engaging, which can be redeemed for coupons or offers from new restaurants. The app also offers optional paid features for accessing second-degree contacts for trusted responses and allows businesses to promote their content.

Overall Viability
7.2
Market Need
8
User Interest
7.5
Competitive Landscape
5.5
Monetization Potential
7

Keyword Search Analysis

Keyword Monthly Search Volumes

KeywordAvg SearchesDifficultyCompetition
city reviews10001LOW
location reviews2600LOW
travel community29005LOW
restaurant coupons810023LOW
user generated content4950017LOW
travel questions and answers7201LOW
new restaurant promotions203LOW
subway coupons30100021LOW
papa johns coupons13500017LOW
pizza hut coupons13500015LOW

Problem Statement

  • Travel Information Reliability: Many travelers face challenges finding reliable and updated information about cities and locations. Reddit discussions reveal concerns about outdated information, biased reviews, and insufficient details on popular travel sites.
  • Engagement Motivation: Users often lack an incentive to engage deeply and share high-quality, detailed responses. Discussions on Reddit suggest frustration over superficial answers and a lack of rewards for meaningful contributions.
  • Promotion Overload: There are numerous complaints about the overwhelming number of promotional posts on travel platforms, which can mask genuine user reviews and experiences.

Reddit Insights

  • Issue of Outdated and Biased Information: In threads discussing platforms like TripAdvisor, users often highlight the prevalence of outdated, biased reviews and promotional content that skews the authenticity of information.
  • Lack of Engagement Reward: Users discuss the motivational gap in travel forums, emphasizing the absence of any reward system for meaningful contributions.

Target Audience Insights

  • Demographics: Based on Reddit data, the core audience includes 18-35-year-old travelers, both solo adventurers and group travelers.
  • Interests: They are interested in off-the-beaten-path destinations, local cuisine, cultural experiences, and travel hacks.
  • Behavior: Active participants in travel planning, seeking both general advice (hotels, restaurants) and niche information (local events, hidden gems).
  • Common Themes: Emphasis on authentic experiences, skepticism towards overly promotional content, and a desire for trustworthy, user-generated content.

Competitor Analysis

Based on Reddit discussions, the following insights were gathered about key competitors:

CompetitorStrengthsWeaknesses
TripAdvisorExtensive database, user-generated reviews, known brandOutdated information, biased reviews, too promotional
Lonely PlanetTrusted brand, detailed guides, local insightsPaywalled content, sometimes not updated
YelpStrong in restaurant reviews, extensive user baseOverly commercialized, inconsistent reviews, mainly U.S.-centric
Reddit (r/travel)Authentic user discussions, diverse topics, real-time responsesNot travel-specific, lack of structured information, mixed quality of responses
Google ReviewsExtensive reach, integrated with Google Maps, easy to useReview quality varies, lacks community engagement, prone to fake reviews

Business Model

  • Monetization Strategies:
    • Freemium Model: Offering a basic free version with optional paid features such as enhanced access to second-degree contacts and detailed analytics of responses.
    • Partnerships and Promotions: Allowing businesses to promote their content directly on the platform and in redeemable reward points for discounts.
  • Cost Structure:
    • Development Costs: Initial and ongoing app development, maintenance, and updates.
    • Marketing Costs: Digital marketing campaigns, influencer partnerships, and content creation.
    • Operational Costs: Customer support, server costs, and administrative expenses.
  • Partnerships and Resources:
    • Key Partners: Potential partnerships include travel agencies, tourism boards, local businesses, and restaurants.
    • Resources Needed: Development team, marketing team, partnerships manager, community managers.

Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Plan

  • Core Features:
    • User registration and profile management.
    • Discussion forums and review posting.
    • Point reward system for high engagement.
    • Redeemable rewards for coupons/offers.
    • Basic version of second-degree contact access.
  • Timeline and Milestones:
    • Month 1-3: Research and design.
    • Month 4-6: Development of core features.
    • Month 6-7: Beta testing and feedback.
    • Month 8: Initial launch.
  • Success Metrics:
    • Number of active users.
    • User engagement rates (posts, comments, likes).
    • Redemption rates of reward points.
    • Growth in user base month-over-month.

Go-to-Market Strategy

  • Introduction Plan:
    • Phase 1: Soft launch targeting early adopters through invite-only access with travel influencers.
    • Phase 2: Full launch with digital marketing campaigns across social media, travel forums, and email newsletters.
  • Marketing and Sales Strategies:
    • Leverage travel influencers for promotions and authentic endorsements.
    • Content marketing through blog posts, articles, and user-generated content.
    • Referral programs encouraging users to invite friends.
  • Primary Channels:
    • Social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter).
    • Partnerships with travel blogs and YouTube channels.
    • Direct email marketing to a curated list of potential users.

This structured approach ensures thorough market validation, comprehensive audience insights, a solid competitive landscape understanding, and a clear strategy for launching and growing the travel discussion app with engaging reward systems.

Relevant Sources

Travel Destinations

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Best cities for travel roles

r/surgicaltechnology - June 17, 2024

Hi! Scrub tech planning on traveling once I hit my 2yr mark as a tech, but I’m really curious as to what cities are best to get assignments in, especially as a young, solo female traveler.

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Best cities in South America for solo travel

r/solotravel - November 10, 2021

23F here. It’s been a hell of a year and I really feel like I need to treat myself before I figure out my next move. I like good food culture, walkable cities, a little bit of partying and lots of history and speak Spanish so South America is a no brainer.

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Best European cities for solo travel in the fall?

r/femaletravels - June 3, 2024

I’ve done a solo trip to Paris and Brussels before. I wouldn’t mind going back to Paris, but are there any other cities recommended? I am aiming to hit London as well.

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Best cities for finding a relationship?

r/SameGrassButGreener - May 16, 2024

I’m 29 and single, currently I would say I make a decent salary: 106K and work remote. I was raised in Miami but have traveled to South America, been to Europe, etc.

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Best city for travel for non-Vietnamese speakers?

r/VietNam - September 22, 2023

I am an American and do not speak Vietnamese. I am trying to learn as many useful words and phrases as I can before January but it is a very complicated language!

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Best way to travel between cities

r/Morocco - June 24, 2024

I will be visiting Morocco and would like to travel between cities like Marrakesh, Agadir, Essaouira and so on. What's the best way as a tourist to move between cities?

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5 of the Best Cities for Travel Jobs During the Holidays

r/u_Aequorhealthcare - June 17, 2024

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Travel magazine readers have voted Chicago the best big city in the US for the sixth year in a row

r/chicago - October 4, 2022

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Best Cities in Europe for Beginning Travelers

r/travel - June 5, 2024

I’m going to travel abroad next year to see some family for 1-1.5 months, and I wanted to add in a European vacation in between. I’d be going between the April-June timeframe.

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Close to 4 Million Americans Will Travel To Capture the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024 — Here Are the Best Cities To View It

r/space - December 19, 2023

Food and Travel

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New York City chosen as the third best culinary travel destination of 2023

r/nyc - December 2, 2023

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Travel and Leisure article names Copenhagen best city to travel to for restaurants

r/copenhagen - December 3, 2023

Copenhagen took top honors as the year’s top culinary destination, with the report noting that the Danish city has become the “restaurant capital of the Nordics” in the last 15 years

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When you’re travelling, what’s your go-to method for finding the best coffee and coffee shops in the new area/ city you are travelling in?

r/Coffee - March 5, 2024

I try to find places that roast their own beans and look at their beans.

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In which European countries or cities have you had the best food on your travels?

r/AskEurope - November 14, 2021

I was shocked by consistency and awesomeness of every restaurant/cafe I visited. That really doesn't compare to any other city I've been - always my top recommendation for food-related travel.

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What are the most expensive and best value cities/destinations for Filipinos to travel? (Not including airfare)

r/phtravel - December 7, 2023

Most Expensive: Entirety of USA - Inflation really took a toll in the entire country that having a comfortable two week vacation here would cost around 250k per person.

Travel Tips and Reviews

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Will travel through italy for almost two weeks. Best way to travel and in which cities to sleep.

r/ItalyTravel - May 16, 2024

On September we'll arrive to Milan with my family. We want to visit Como lake, Venice and Florence in the first part of our trip; Naples region on a second part, and finally Regio Calabria and Rome.

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If you are planning to travel to Italy, I strongly recommend visiting Torino (Turin), imo one of the best and most underrated cities in the country!

r/travel - July 13, 2022

In Turin (or in Piedmont in general) we say “the best thing in Milan is the train to go to Turin”. A joke to underline how overrated Milan is and how underrated Turin is.