If you want to go on a vacation abroad, so far there have been two possible routes — go with a packaged tour from an operator or chalk out your own plan with a lot of research online and offline. When a traveller custom creates a trip, it can take searches in about 39 websites before they come up with a plan, says Hari Ganapathy, co-founder of PickYourTrail, a Chennai-based travel-planning platform. This is the pain point his company attempts to solve.

PickYourTrail’s Veho platform helps travellers put together an itinerary and book online instantly. “Anyone going to Paris for the first time will want to visit the Eiffel Tower and see da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. About 60-80 per cent of the schedule is standard; but the real value-add that enhances the travel experience is how well they can conveniently plan the other activities,” he says.

Travellers can also make quick changes on the platform and view costs instantly without having to wait for an agent to revert. This is handy because people may plan their vacation, say, at night when they are free, says Ganapathy. The website aims to attract independent travellers who see travel as an experience, not a package, he says.

The company has tied up with travel service providers such as Expedia, Amadeus, Viator, Airbnb and over 100 local suppliers. The partner services are deeply integrated, helping to pull out the best possible rates, says Ganapathy.

They have also established a good network with hotels and local travel and tour service providers in Europe and South-East Asia — popular travel destinations for Indians.

Network and micro-data These connections are a source of valuable micro-data — seasonal events, local favourites and tips on when to visit — which enhance one’s travel experience, he says. This micro-data, combined with data gathered from other sources, is a key factor in the itinerary-building algorithm. It also helps the recommendation engine to suggest alternative cities and activities that best match a user’s profile.

PickYourTrail’s app, Travel Genie, helps users during the trip. The in-app chat serves as a real-time mobile concierge for support. You can get real-time help to handle service issues, delays in flights that require change of plan, any upgrades or even finding a place to eat. “The idea is to have human experts deal with niche and specific questions. International travel is a high-ticket priced service and needs human touch.”

The idea seems to be seeing traction — travellers spend close to 12 minutes on the platform compared with the industry average of less than 5 minutes, says Ganapathy. Launched in April, Veho has contributed to about 40 per cent of the company’s revenue. The firm plans to launch the platform across 15 destinations by the end of this year.

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