Expago – adding a new dimension to travel experience

Expago was established by a truly international team who have extensive experience in tourism and hospitality management, software development, and branding. Our team stared working on the platform in January 2018, launched the test version in November 2018, and now we are fully live with desktop and mobile website, iOS and Android apps.

Expago is a platform which will take traveling and booking tours and activities to a new level, meeting the new reality and following the demands and insights of the travelers and locals. The travelers want to have new, non-conventional experiences, they want to be submerged into local cultures, and they want to be able to do it quickly, from their smartphones. For locals, Expago is an opportunity to make additional income by doing things they’re pationate about.

The recent developements, of course, will have a short-term negative effect on the sector, unfortunately. But the travelers will continue coming to Georgia, and the incoming tourism will continue to grow. Georgian sun, soil, and friendly people will continue being hospitable to everyone. And we believe that Expago will continue its growth during these challenging times. Expago is for travelers of all languages, ethnicities, and interests.

We’re finalizing the product here in the Georgian market, expanding our Geography by adding experts from Adjara, Imereti, Kakheti – all over Georgia, and are planning to scale it to other countries.

Living in the era of technologies, we more and more rely on the internet and mobile applications, which have become our right-hand assistants for all occasions. Planning a holiday is no exception.

Buying tickets online and surfing the net to find the most interesting sights  before taking the plane is a common thing.  It’s probably easier to outline the whole itinerary prior to visiting a new country. Meanwhile the number of people, who are personalizing their travel plans instead of buying standard ready-made packages, is steadily growing.

People tend to go beyond the tourist-beaten tracks, they prefer authentic experiences and personal connection – specifically, eating or walking with locals – while traveling internationally.  Georgia has become a popular tourist destination and more travelers are arriving. They tend to choose suggested routes and local experiences to better feel the real taste of the country. 

Expago is a Georgian app inspired by the idea of connecting travelers with local people.  Locals, that know Georgia’s history and traditions and can offer a much wider information than any guidebook can provide to a curious traveler.

In addition to allowing travelers to become fully immersed in the local life, Expago enables locals to earn money by sharing their knowledge and experience. An adventurer or a caring mother, a professional guide or a passionate fisherman, a retiree or a student – anyone with specific interests can join Expago to turn their hobby into a source of additional income.

According to Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.), a large U.S.-based travel company, 85% of middle-aged travelers are personalizing their experiences to avoid all-inclusive stay in more than 90 countries in 2019. Millennials are not consumers of packaged products all the more.

Expago offers travelers unique local experiences that can suit a range of tastes and requirements. Foodies can choose a dinner with a hospitable Georgian family, during which they can learn how to cook the most delicious national dishes. Urban explorers can visit the resort town of Tskaltubo. They can wander in the abandoned sanatoriums, where the top soviet leaders used to take special treatment. Art lovers are welcome to visit the places where famous Georgian artist Niko Pirosmani lived. Places, where he created unique masterclass on icon painting heater lovers can watch modern and classical performances and then sneak into the backstage to chech out the glittering vintage decor.

Those hungry for nightlife adventures can become a part of a crazy pub crawl and clubbing experience. Soviet heritage tours will take history lovers to the suburbs of modern Tbilisi. Kolchian-style swimming lessons are waiting for those who are not afraid to jump into water with arms and legs bound.

The World Travel & Tourism Council and Bloomberg – Megatrends Report 2019 says that customized and personalized experiences are no longer reserved for the high-end luxury market. More and more people prefer flexibility and human interaction over standard sightseeing tours.

This concept is perfectly fitting Georgia, a country with friendly people, who believe that the guest is a gift from God.