What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to either be the boss of Qantas, so I could fly around the world, or an author, spending my days absorbed in another world.
My family and teachers said I’d grow out of it. I haven’t. While the specifics may have changed, my burning passions haven’t.
Two years ago, Bound Round didn’t exist. I had no experience in the travel industry and I’d never worked in publishing. But my dream was bursting to become a reality.
On a flight from London to Sydney, I overhead a conversation between some children and their parents, with the former complaining they had nothing fun to do when they arrived. It was a light-bulb moment for me and my business idea was born. I needed to create a travel guide, specifically for kids.
With 2/3 of tweens now having their own mobile device (or regularly using their parents’ device) it was clear I needed to arm kids with not only the information they need and wanted, but also give it to them in a way that made the most sense to them – digitally.
Tween Travellers: The Game Changers
Holiday planning for a family is stressful at the best of times. One in two families find deciding on a location, developing an itinerary of fun and unique experiences finding family friendly accommodation stressful.
Finding relevant information is hard. The majority of travellers trust online reviews, but prior to the launch of Bound Round, there was no online destination that provided kid-centric travel information. With kids increasingly getting a seat at the table in the family decision making process, they can no longer be an afterthought. They define the ‘family travel’ segment.
This is a trend that is being discussed broadly in the travel industry. For example, at the PhocusWright Conference in 2014, Brian Sharples, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of HomeAway stated that “tiny tourists actually have quite an influence on where they want to go… they’re pretty good with computers and they’re pretty good with phones…”
“And they say ‘I want to go there’ or ‘I don’t want to go there’ and you want to make your kids happy…”
Brian Sharples, CEO of HomeAway
“With children increasingly becoming key decision makers in family travel, they are no longer just an afterthought in hotels.”
Katherine Cole, regional director at Hotels.com
“Moving into 2015, we expect more hotels to start catering to the demands of multigenerational travellers by offering more unique service offerings for kids,” Katherine says.
But how can the travel industry actually reach these decision makers and harness their ‘pester power’? How can we make sure we meet their expectations and deliver on their needs and wants? Enter Bound Round.
What is Bound Round?
Bound Round is the world’s first digital kids travel guide that promotes destinations and attractions around the world.
Bound Round operates in the space between social media, traditional travel information and review services (like Trip Advisor and Lonely Planet); book and game apps that keep the kids busy while travelling; and online kids communities.
Bound Round’s guiding principle is to deliver travel content “by kids for kids”. The app primarily offers kids’ recommendations on what to do and where to go. Video is used extensively, as this is the most engaging and popular content with kids – YouTube is the number two search engine in the world! All Bound Round content and technical developments are approved by the Bound Round Kids Board before release to ensure they meet the demanding requirements of the tween market. Bound Round guides lead to more enjoyable and valuable travel experiences for kids and parents alike.
Bound Round by the Numbers
- Bound Round reaches over 200,000 families
- 20,000 (iOS downloads) with 76% return user rate
- Average time in app = 8 minutes and rising (web app and iOS)
- Most frequented pages = videos (#1) & games (#2)
- Over 50 featured areas – 9 times the number this time last year (800% growth)
- Over 1,000 attractions
- Over 350 videos
