We’ve all heard the quote from Susan Sontag “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list” and this quote IS ME. From backpacking to remote waterfalls to luxury high rises in Dubai, I am up for it ALL. The problems with that are, 1.) I never know where I want to go next (again, the list is endless) and 2.) every time I see a beautiful picture on Instagram or flip through one of my million travel books I am overwhelmed by the sheer number of incredible experiences out there in the world. For years it drove me crazy that I have these piles of books and endless digital folders filled with ideas, pro tips and inspiration, but every time I am ready to plan a trip, I am starting from zero. What if I get an opportunity to go to Iceland, but don’t check that one folder where I saved that post from two years ago with the super cool viewpoint in? What if I find myself in Finland, but forget all about that once-in-a-lifetime prime northern lights viewing treehouse hotel I read about? Basically, it was driving me crazy and I needed a way to organize these ideas that was better than my Excel spreadsheet (embarrassing but true). For me, I can’t think of a better way to start planning a trip than by spinning a globe.
The globe is the basis of what Ailyak is. While it started in my mind as a “simple” organizational tool, it has become so much more. In researching the travel industry and with my own personal connections to travel advisors I saw the huge need for better platforms for travel professionals. They are faced with the same problems as the rest of us, scattered information (and a lot of it), too many demands and not enough time. What if the Ailyak globe could not only organize information for everyday travelers, but also store contacts, properties, experiences, DMC’s and more for the travel advisor? If it is all in one place, they can easily grab their favorite and trusted vendors to share with clients, knowing they are providing all the necessary information for a select destination.
With the globe as the base, the capabilities, and future features of Ailyak are endless. From easy communication with clients to simple to-create proposals and straightforward client management, our aim for Ailyak is to finally be the ONE place that travel advisors can turn to for all their pressing business needs.
Trying to start a business from scratch is a trip (pun intended). The ideas are flowing like the Nile and it is hard to rein it in and be reasonable with what we can put out there on day one. As much as I want it to be perfect right out the gate, I know that isn’t reasonable. Our goal is to get our basic features working and test it out with a few travel advisors to see what they like and don’t like and from there the sky is the limit! Michelle and I are so excited to launch and get Ailyak officially out into the world and we hope that it will be a place to visit when you can’t get on a plane.
