An angel for BeMyGuest

Thursday, 17 Oct, 2013 0

Singapore based travel site www.bemyguest.com.sg has received SGD$500,000 in angel funding for the site, which specialises in niche travel experiences around Asia.

Launched in beta in October 2012, now the largest aggregator of tours and activities in Asia with 10,000 contracted tours and activities, BeMyGuest was inspired by a business trip undertaken by founder Clement Wong while in Africa.

"I wanted to explore Kenya further off the beaten track," he explained.

"I soon realised that my effort to connect with true local life was not so easy with much of the money I paid going to intermediaries which doesn’t help to elevate tourism responsibly in local communities."

Wong, a travel industry veteran, opted to fill the gap left open by many online travel agencies and created BeMyGuest.

The site directly links local travel experiences offered by local communities, providing travellers with authentic cultural perspectives and encounters.

Tours and activities are the final frontier in travel distribution, Wong said.

Most tours and activity providers lack the resources to invest in modern distribution technology, and BeMyGuest fills this gap by providing a free, fully customisable content management system which not only digitalises and distributes this content via BeMyGuest’s website, but also to the entire travel ecosystem.

"By digitalising and standardising local travel content from suppliers across emerging markets we provide a marketplace for products otherwise unattainable for travellers who seek a unique and immersive experience, while supporting local businesses," Wong added.

Wong’s extensive travel industry history extends over a decade with travel giants PhoCusWright, TravelPort GDS and Euromonitor International.

The successful investment has led to the boosting of the senior executive team with a new partner and chief marketing officer, Blanca Menchaca, previously global head of online marketing at travel metasearch site Wego.com.

"Travellers today more frequently seek authenticity and interactive travel experiences which is what we’re able to deliver," added Wong.

"I’m also happy to be able to provide a platform for local suppliers and increase their presence online while supporting their own communities."

Ian Jarrett

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