More travellers are choosing independent journeys over guided tours, but planning meaningful trips is still difficult. Overwhelming options, mainstream recommendations, and a lack of local perspective make it hard to find authentic experiences that fit limited time.

TravelMate offers a unique travel experience, enjoying personalized, in-depth trips that promote cultural sharing with locals while ensuring safe travel and giving adventurers the peace of mind they need to explore new destinations.

To develop the concept, we centralised travel content with tags and algorithms, added authentic local insights, and designed a way for travelers to quickly connect with knowledgeable guides. We also introduced strict verification for identity and certificates, plus a wearable safety feature, Caretag, to support traveler safety.

The project was shortlisted for the PolyU Ideation Funding Scheme. We later continued developing it for the PolyU International Future Challenge, where it helped us pitch a business concept supporting Cathay Pacific.

Come back in a while for a more detailed case study!