On Monday, like many Americans, I spent hours hunched over a laptop surfing the web.
But unlike most folks, I wasn’t shopping for Cyber Monday deals…
Instead, I was planning a getaway with my pregnant wife — our last vacation without kids.
And as I was reminded, planning a trip can be stressful:
From comparing flights whose prices seem to change every second, to searching for a decent hotel that won’t break the bank or give you bedbugs, I’ve started to dread the planning process more than I enjoy the actual trip!
But a new startup is offering a solution to this mess…
A solution that could make your life easier — and offer you some serious profits, too.
The Downside of Travel: Planning
Tourism is one of the largest sectors in the world.
In 2017, it added up to $8.27 trillion in commerce, and by 2028, it’s expected to reach $12.45 trillion.
Sure, not all travel is difficult to plan. If you’re looking to book a cruise, for example, planning can be easy: pick your ship and go.
But nowadays, more and more people are seeking “experiential” travel — trips where they can connect with locals and go off-the-beaten-path. According to Allied Market Research, this type of tourism will grow from $445 billion in 2016, to more than $1.3 trillion in 2023.
The thing is, planning these adventures isn’t easy:
According to a report from Expedia and comScore, prior to booking a trip, the average American consumer makes 140 visits to travel sites, and spends 23 hours doing research.
But a new startup is aiming to make this process much easier…
Introducing: Jubel
Jubel is an online travel site that handles all the planning and booking for you.
To get started, you fill out a fun survey about your travel preferences:
Your budget… how you like to spend your time… lodging preferences… how much “culture-shock” you’re comfortable with… your preferred pace of travel… etc.
Then, Jubel uses artificial intelligence and its proprietary database of 1,000 destinations in over 100 countries to match you with the perfect trip.
And after you select a trip, Jubel takes care of everything: not only does it book your travel, but it provides local recommendations so you’ll never get stuck at a lousy restaurant or waste a day on a dull tour.
Furthermore, while you’re on your trip, you’ll have access to Jubel’s team of travel specialists — they’re on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to make sure you’re having a great time.
In exchange for these services, you pay Jubel a fee that adds up to about 18% of your trip. So, for example, if your trip costs $1,000, you’d pay an extra $180 or so.
To put that in perspective, high-end services like this are usually available only from fancy travel agencies where you’re required to spend at least $10,000.
That’s why folks are saying that using Jubel is like “winning the travel lottery”!
Progress and Next Steps
Given Jubel’s unique offering and low fees, its business is quickly taking off…
Since launching in 2016, it’s brought in about $1 million in revenues. Furthermore, 29% of its customers have used the service repeatedly, and it’s received glowing press from media outlets including Conde Nast Traveler and The Wall Street Journal.
Given its success, now Jubel is looking to expand and grow its operations.
In order to do that, it’s raising a small round of funding from investors like you.
Should you invest? Let’s take a look…
Pros and Cons of an Investment
On the “pro” side:
- Online travel is a “hot” sector. In 2017, venture capitalists invested $5.3 billion in travel tech startups, a record high. The reason? High levels of M&A in this sector mean early investors could potentially earn big, quick profits.
- Jubel’s $3 million valuation is attractive. With most startup M&A taking place under $100 million, it gives us plenty of room to potentially make 10x our money here.
- The team is strong. The CEO has financial skills from his Wall Street experience, and other team members have significant experience with travel tech startups.
Then there’s the “con” side…
The main con here is that Jubel’s business is unpredictable — after all, not only is it an early-stage startup, but its business success is closely tied to the strength of the economy…
If the economy weakens, people will have less disposable income, and will be less likely to spend on “extras” like a vacation. And even if they do take a vacation, they’ll be less likely to splurge on paying someone else to do the planning.
But if that doesn’t scare you off too much, why not dig into this opportunity further?
To learn more about Jubel and potentially invest, click here »
Happy Investing
Please note: Crowdability has no relationship with Jubel, or with any of the companies or platforms we write about. Crowdability is an independent provider of education, information and research on start-ups and alternative investments.
Best Regards,
Founder
Crowdability.com
