Meet “When in X”, the Macedonian start-up that wants to change the travel industry in Southeast Europe
A Macedonian start-up is launching a new travel app that will connect visitors to the Balkans with local hosts eager to share their experiences. Through an online marketplace, visitors can explore and book outdoor activities, cultural experiences and events — all hosted by locals.
“When in X”, which gets its name from the popular saying “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”, will make travel magical again by immersing travelers and providing them with unprecedented access to local passions and interests and hidden gems that only locals know about via personal recommendations.
Unlike traditional travel agencies that directly sell to customers, “When in X” connects travelers with local “experts” who become the service providers. In this new marketplace, local hosts are already offering tourists everything from mountain biking trails, adventure parks, and wildlife photography sites to authentic local cuisine, nightlife and entertainment spots.
This new service is an opportunity for passionate locals to develop alternative tourism in their community while earning an income. All interested local tour guides are invited to participate and contribute to growing local tourism, sharing their skills and favorite experiences with others, whilst making a little extra money from their interests.
“Our mission is to change the way tourism works in Southeast Europe. As Balkan locals ourselves, we believe that these lands have a lot of beautiful sites, hidden natural gems and fascinating cultural experiences that will impress visitors from around the world. We want to make all these local secrets a little bit more visible and easier to find which in time will increase the interest for tourism in the area. In addition, it will allow many local travel-entrepreneurs to build more successful small businesses which will positively influence the local economy.”
“When in X” is developed by the Macedonian company Webgliders who after a long-term commitment to providing software services to international clients, decided to finally create a product of their own. Being fellow travel and outdoor enthusiasts, the team came up with a solution for providing a marketplace for touristic service that will make any visitors feel as part of the local community.
For research & development “When in X” got its first funding from Fund of Innovations and technology development during their fourth investment call.
For more information about the app, you can check out our video and download our MEDIA KIT here.
“When in X” is available online at www.wheninx.com as well as the App Store and Google Play.
