Best Vacation and Online Travel Platform Idea For Global Travel!

Read Any of Our Zimply Global Story Chapters

Chapter 1: Where We Started

Our Zimply Global Story: Chapter 1 – Where We Started – February 2023

Read Time:

5–7 minutes

From interstates to islands, Michael’s 2023 Philippines trip and OTR (Over The Road Trucking) expertise sparked a new travel platform idea for global travel. Offering a transparent, social, community-driven solution that is flexible for those who want direct bookings, reservations, etc., and for hassle-free travel experiences.

When Online Travel Booking Platforms & Website Design Didn’t Really Exist

In mid-1999, Michael started as an Over The Road Truck Driver with a Driver Trainer. By mid-2000, he was driving solo to Canada, and to Mexico by late 2006. Not knowing that later in life, with the help of a woman named Belly Joy, he would stumble upon the greatest travel platform idea in the world.

With truck driving, he mastered finding food, parking, and things to do through self-exploration of custom travel itineraries with his own best practices. Local travel tips across North America helped these experiences. Over time, he learned simple tricks and methods to help him search for things in an era of traditional travel, before today’s internet, with a bigger focus on travel.

Though it wasn’t until February 2023 that he would be forced to relive the experiences of the unknown. With over 2,500,000 safe miles driven across North America. He found himself in a very unfamiliar place.

Michael on his way to Philippines before he knew he was going to have a travel platform idea.
Phoenix AZ USA to Manila Philippines
The travel platform idea came after boarding onto a plane from Manila Philippines.
Manila Philippines to Boracay Philippines
Travel platform idea came about after arriving in boracay Philippines.
Boracay Philippines to Carabao Island Philippines

Before Booking Platforms & Travel App Developments

Landing at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (IATA: MNL) in Manila, Philippines, on Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 2023, was an exciting moment to experience. Unknown to him, what was to occur over the next several days would test his professional traveling history. 

In the past, his expert tips helped him rent a charter boat off the shore of Tampa, Florida, where he was not allowed to keep an electric eel that snagged his lure. Or like the times he went to the north east and attended events. Even one time, when he was in the middle of Wyoming and needed emergency assistance because the wind closed the hood of his semi truck with him inside the engine area, and he needed to get stitches. He found a clinic about an hour away and created a travel solution. All of this, however is long before his travel platform idea he didn’t know he was preparing for.

When you’re constantly new to a location, it’s always the same initial feeling. Excitement mixed with the mystery of things. Landing in the Philippines, same feelings. With the bonus of meeting his soon-to-be fiancée, Belly Joy. The two of them explored Manila together. Though if it wasn’t for Belly Joy, then Michael would have repeated the same unfamiliar methods of effective travel.

It wasn’t until after they left Manila on a flight to Caticlan Airport (IATA: MPH) in Boracay to head to Carabao Island that Michael would start seeing an issue with today’s travel platform providers.

After arriving in Carabao Island, the two went on adventures throughout the area. Though these adventures were only easy to come by because of talking with locals. Asking questions, everything Michael was used to doing. There was cliff diving, caves, and so many more things to do in Carabao Island that these two were never aware of.

Cagban Jetty Port Baracay Philippines before the travel platform idea.
Cagban Jetty Port Boracay PH, waiting for our boat.
On the boat from Boracay to Carabao Island before the travel platform idea.
On boat from Boracay PH to Carabao Island PH
Carabao Island Philippines before the travel platform idea.
Arrival at our stay in Carabao Island PH

From A Travel Platform Idea To Building A Travel Platform For Businesses and Travelers

All the places they visited, the city center, Cathedral Cave, and so much more.

These were not mentioned on online platforms like Airbnb. When these two had to go back early because of high tide. It was difficult to find a place to stay in Boracay easily. With the help of the host in Carabao Island, they managed to secure a place to stay. 

After their stay in Boracay, they headed back to Manila to find themselves checking into a nightmare. Black mold, window-mounted AC magically not falling out of the window, plus more.

After hours of trying to reach anyone, Michael took it upon himself to relocate themselves. Which absolutely worked 100% with minimal time used.

All of these experiences brought a travel platform idea to Michael. To build a travel website with the best user experience for businesses and travelers within all vacation and travel industries.

These would be the target audience, a massive dual-centered focus. for his travel platform idea. So that the world can avoid the negatives within their travel experiences. To build something more than a travel app or website.

Entrance to Cathedral Cave Carabao Island Philippines.
Entrance to Cathedral Cave, Carabao Island, San Jose, Philippines.
Inside Cathedral Cave in Carabao Island San Jose Philippines. A reason for a new travel platform idea.
Inside Cathedral Cave, Carabao Island, San Jose, Philippines

Something that only platforms provide.

This had to be different; this platform offers meaningful travel experiences with the ability to share travel experiences. Include a way for travelers to plan their trips within a vacation or travel market.

To be more than a travel booking website by enabling you to change specific travel components within seconds for emergencies, and to allow successful travel personalization. An ecosystem for everything travel and vacation-related, but make it easy for those who want to travel and are within the travel or vacation sectors or industries.

On the flight back towards Arizona, USA, he thought and researched various areas related to this travel platform idea. From luxury train travel in a blog he read from railbrookers about the 7 Top Destinations for 2023. To data based on statistics like he found on statista with their Travel & Tourism – Worldwide informational page. He searched for everything that he could. He wanted it to remove the middleman so it did not feel like one of many travel agencies. To feel like a social travel and vacation ecosystem. A social network as a travel portal with great travel design and development.

With attention to detail, because everyone’s vacation is like their own story. Something unlike standard travel companies, something where more than the platform helps provide the best ability for direct contact with everything before, during, and after your travel or vacation. To create a travel platform development strategy that allows him to design a travel service that has travel social components to align with the development services within the platform development. 

This allows for Michael to look at other travel providers, get a bigger picture of the features of travel, and the types of travel content available in the world today. He finds that articles, travel blogs, videos, and so much more are all scattered across the World Wide Web. The solution to all of this? Develop a transparent travel and vacation ecosystem for travelers and related travel businesses that enables them to be their own travel agent within a single ecosystem.

Share this on:

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.