London, UK – July 19, 2007: isango!, the global travel experience aggregator, has announced today the completion of their first global content coverage phase, with the launch of Belgium, Austria, Germany and Poland.
This brings the total number of countries where travelers can search for any kind of exciting travel experience to 54, covering all the major continents. Leading incoming markets such as the USA, France, Italy or Spain certainly attract most of the visitors attention, but the long tail model also offers global promotion for small operators in less well-traveled countries such as Sweden, Cambodia or Chile.
Commenting on this milestone, achieved in only 9 months, CEO and co-founder Ranjan Singh said: "I cannot thank our teams more than by highlighting this incredible achievement. Starting from nothing, they have built the world's largest repository of unique travel experiences, now available all under one roof, in a clean and uniform presentation."
The main challenge, according to COO and co-founder Aseem Sadana, has been to collect raw promotional material from hundreds of local operators, and convert it into a clear, precise and complete product description to enable its distribution to online channels. "Our customers told us they need relevant information before booking excursions or activities: not only the precise duration of each visit, but also advice on what they need to wear, or gear they need to bring along". All product descriptions have been produced in-house by isango!'s journalist team, with the addition of multiple pictures, zoomable maps and all-inclusive pricing schemes.
As the exclusive tours and excursions provider to the New7Wonders project, isango! helps travelers select and book the travel experience that best fits their needs, whether they are adventurous travelers, families, seniors or culture vultures. All 21 finalist wonders, including the Giza Pyramids in Egypt, the Taj Mahal in India, the Colosseum in Rome, Machu Picchu in Peru, the Christ Redeemer in Brazil, the Sydney Opera House in Australia or the Eiffel Tower in Paris can be explored through a large variety of different excursions.
By focusing exclusively on experiential products, the company has been able to innovate in all operational areas - whether concerning the booking and pricing system, the user interface, or the product categorisation. "All our products have been tagged and badged manually to ensure travelers looking for inspiration will be able to quickly and effectively find what will meet their interests across the full range of fantastic experiences available throughout the world", said Sadana. For example, food addicts will be able to find wine tasting excursions or cooking classes, while nature lovers can review a full range of bird watching tours or exotic safaris.
isango! was recently under the spotlight during the 2007 Travolution Awards in London, UK, where the then 6-months old site was nominated for "Best Travel Agency Site" and "Newcomer of the Year" alongside industry giants that have been around for a decade. "We did not win”, said Singh, “but we received cheers and support from the industry because we finally found the way to enable Internet distribution to this diverse and fragmented category - which in fact represents the core reason for traveling".
isango! will continue its expansion by selecting the most reliable local operators and by growing its offering of experiences suited to all lifestyles, demographics and budgets. Although the core number of countries will expand only marginally from today's milestone, the product range will almost double to reach 6000 excursions and activities by end 2007.
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Note to the editors
isango! is a travel experience and lifestyle brand founded in 2005 by former management consultants and executives from Expedia and Cendant/ebookers. Online booking allows travelers to book before they travel, avoiding the usual time wasting when they arrive. The site also provides recommended must-do and out-of-ordinary top picks on each country, complete with detailed information about the destination and the activities. isango! does not charge credit card fees and boasts unmatched flexibility in its cancellation policy.
More information about isango! is available at www.isango.com.
Press contacts
isango! Global Media Department:
e-mail: media [ at ] isango.com
For UK Press inquiries please contact:
Ann Scott Associates
Cristina Bastian
Tel:+44 (0)20 7823 9988
Fax:+44 (0)20 7823 8050
e-mail: cristina [ at ] annscott.co.uk
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