El Camino Journey, a Washington,
D.C.-based group journey firm, has raised $1.1 million in pre-seed funding as
it shifts to deal with changing into an experiential market for girls vacationers.
Based in 2014, the corporate’s
funding is led by Slauson & Co. with participation from Journey Ventures and
a number of angel buyers together with former Airbnb vp of experiences
Joe Zadeh.
El Camino Journey says it is going to
use the funding to additional develop its expertise and construct consciousness of its
model as a “premium market for girls vacationers that connects them straight
to distinctive experiences.”
“In
a world stuffed with manufacturers in trend, magnificence, and well being that cater to the wants
and priorities of ladies – journey has but to maintain up,” says Katalina Mayorga,
co-founder and CEO of El Camino.
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“Girls
vacationers have lengthy been ignored by business giants though they’re the
fastest-growing section. They deserve extra. We’re laser centered on delivering
them the primary high-quality and trusted experiential market that at all times
retains them high of thoughts as a buyer and makes it straightforward to e book fully
distinctive journey experiences that they’d not be capable to discover on their very own.
Most significantly, they may now not should sacrifice the standard of their
journey expertise due to their gender.”
The corporate says its present
choices embrace small group journeys to locations reminiscent of Morocco, Guatemala, Egypt
and Greece, with a mean order worth of $3,400.
El Camino companions with
vacation spot administration firms and likewise supplies its expertise to operators.
“Whereas
on-line journey operators historically present their companions with the flexibility
to handle stock, El Camino is targeted on managing their time,” Mayorga
says.
“Our tech stack is designed to
automate and streamline 90% of the duties which are consuming valuable handbook
hours that could possibly be higher spent nurturing our buyer expertise and assembly
new demand. Productizing the years of workarounds and restricted third-party
assets will create a customized resolution for the distinctive wants of the small group
journey sector.”
The corporate additionally provides a
membership program referred to as El Camino Clubhouse for $99 per yr that offers subscribers
entry to journey suggestions and guides and a group discussion board.
“What
bought us enthusiastic about El Camino is the way in which they’re discovering one of the best journey
experiences that think about the wants and preferences of half of the world’s
inhabitants – ladies,” says Austin Clements, co-founder of Slauson & Co.
“Their
success in constructing an unimaginable model that has stood out in a crowded area,
and their years of expertise with their clients and journey companions uniquely
place them to modernize and scale a sector prime for main progress. We
imagine they’re primed to grow to be a formidable competitor on quantity and high quality
of experiences to a few of the greatest names in journey.”