Brian Tan, the CEO of the travel-planning website Zicasso, is the first to say that Expedia, Orbitz and other major online travel agencies can't be beaten for travelers who are following the beaten path: the single-destination booking.
But for upscale travelers who are looking online for experts to help them follow roads less traveled to multiple destinations, Tan says his niche-market services are filling a gap.
"Trips beyond a single stop are short on online services," Tan said. "You're going to Peru and want to visit several places there; you need a private guide in one place, other services in another. You don't know if it's best to take a bus or other transportation. It could take you 40 hours online to find those services, if you can find them at all."
At Zicasso, the site links travelers with the company's pre-screened experts, i.e., travel agents and tour operators, to offer help building itineraries and booking complex travel. "On the other hand, you can go to a traditional online travel agency or tour operator, but most people only visit a country once in lifetime and don't really know who is an expert that can help them out," Tan said.
A former builder of nontravel Internet businesses, Tan said his own family's passion for world travel turned him toward solving multiple-destination needs with Zicasso.
The site last week added several partner agencies and tour operators to its list of experts, and launched on its site a service that lists some 500 "sample trips" that carry complete itineraries for destinations around the world.
Tan said the site has employed Web 2.0 technology to enable travel agencies to communicate directly with consumers online and complete bookings. The services include direct messaging with consumers, largely eliminating the need to complete bookings on the telephone.
Tan likens the system he's building to an eBay for travel, with the company's travel experts and tour operators receiving ratings and reviews from those who have used their sales services.
"We are really building an online travel community and are providing the services that support that, from user-generated content like photo sharing, blogs and ratings and reviews," he said. "So, over time, our goal is to build a trusted community of travel companies and establish a reputation for good service and strong itineraries."
Zicasso, based in Mountain View, Calif., began building its technology and partnerships two years ago. It is now working with 150 travel companies and agency partners in 40 countries, Tan said. He said 70% of the site's experts were tour operators, but the company is working toward an equal mix of travel agencies and tour operators as it expands.
While Tan's site, launched four months ago, develops leads for travel sellers, it is not just a lead generator, he said.
Zicasso doesn't charge fees for leads but earns commissions from its partners when a trip is booked. He said an extensive screening process is involved in travel partner selection.
"We are targeted at luxury and entry-level luxury travelers, three stars and above," Tan said. "And because of that, we monitor online the sales process to ensure consumers are getting good service. We are concerned about conversion rates, and we are concerned about best practices by our travel sellers as we build a reputation."