Friends, not so long ago I did a review of the Russian-speaking one. This is a real library of knowledge for everyone who is going to travel! What can I say, the daily traffic of the site tourister.ru of more than 50 thousand people speaks for itself)).
This resource has another very attractive trump card up its sleeve, which was launched in the middle of last year. And it is called Experts.Tourister.Ru
Experts.Tourister.Ru is a service search for private guides... It makes it possible to find a Russian-speaking guide for an excursion in an unfamiliar country, a shopping guide for shopping, an interpreter, etc. - in short, experts in their field of tourism-related services.
In fact, being accompanied by a guide in an unfamiliar country almost always saves a lot of time, effort, and even money. It is one thing to spend time working out the route, exploring the sights, then looking for streets on the map, etc., and it is quite another thing when a person takes you along the optimal route, tells and shows everything himself. Beauty and only))
The service has an impressive base of experts: 227 private guides are ready to provide their services in 46 countries of the world! By the way, these figures are increasing every month.
All guides live in those cities where they provide services, so you don't have to worry about their competence in knowing the area. Moreover, registering a person in a role private guide on the Expert.Tourister.Ru service is paid, and each application is checked manually by moderators. This is how the “screening out” of random people occurs to a large extent.
Each expert has his own personal page on the service. This is how, for example, one of them looks like:
You will find the following information on the guide's page:
- in which country of the world and cities does it provide services (section "geography of excursions")
- what kind of services he is ready to provide (section "specializations")
- a detailed description of the excursions and tours (duration in time, cost, what is included, etc.)
- guide contact details
- a calendar of the guide's busyness, where you can immediately see information on which days he is busy or free
A guide to travel and entertainment in Russian cities, with which you can plan a route, find interesting sights, choose a hotel, restaurant, fitness club or climbing wall. The application includes author's city guides from famous artists, chefs, athletes, designers, journalists, bloggers. For example, a guide to the best Asian restaurants in the city, route one day excursion or a selection of places to ride a longboard.
Now there are 29 cities on the site. In the near future, the developers plan to add all the cities of the Golden Ring of Russia.
2. Altourism
Social entrepreneurship project. Travel to the Russian outback, which the service offers, is a mixture of accommodation with social activity, as well as an opportunity to plunge into the life of the local population, to support them in initiatives that help the development of their native village or small town.
Now the site offers, for example, to help restore a 17th century chapel, organize a holiday for children in the Kaluga region, or contribute to the improvement of the town of Tutaev (Yaroslavl region).
3. RussiaDiscovery
The company organizes unusual vacation countrywide. For example, with their help you can go to look at northern Lights or go to a corporate party to Baikal or Adygea. Tours can be sorted by region or activity (sightseeing tour, jeep tour, snowmobile safari, mountain climbing, etc.).
4. WikiPlanet
The aggregator of "package" tours in Russia (there are more than 5000 offers on the site) with the possibility of instant booking and its own manager of room stocks is instantly updated information on all available offers. Focused on russian hotels, rest houses, boarding houses.
As the creators assure, they strive to simplify the process of buying vouchers - in order to go on a trip, "you only need to know the voucher number and have an identity document with you."
5. Travelata
This "online hypermarket" offers package tours not only in Russia, but more and more appear on the site russian resortsand there is also a separate page with sightseeing tours around the country. In 2014, Travelata raised $ 7 million from MCI Management and EBRD, including funds for expansion into the regions.
6. Excursiopedia
Service for ordering excursions. There are both international and domestic destinations - from Vladivostok to Kaliningrad. Payment takes place after the event is confirmed by the guide, everything can be done online, and on the excursion you only need to have a printed voucher with you.
7. TourBazaar
Online auction of tours. Lots in TourBazar are formed package offers of holiday homes, boarding houses and country hotels. There are many proposals for Russia. Rumor has it that the trip can be bought for a ruble.
8.
A little over a year ago, the Tutu.ru service launched a new service - online tour sales. Proposals across Russia.
The main services provided by the service are the purchase of air and railway tickets, an updated transport schedule. For example, the train schedule is proposed for 17 cities.
9. VIVAster
A platform for ordering excursions around the world, there are slightly more than 500 options in Russia. Recommendations and ordering of group tours are available.
Book your accommodation
Car rental in the cities of Russia. Model - P2P car sharing, when a private person can rent out his car. True, a little more than five hundred cars have been registered so far, which is not enough on a national scale.
14. TopTripTip
It is a guide to Russian regions with offline access. Contains information about attractions and infrastructure facilities, tourist routes, a calendar of significant events and events with a reminder function, audio tours, photo galleries, a recommendation service. Two language versions of the content are available (Russian and english languages; for Moscow and St. Petersburg - also the Chinese interface). The database of objects, events and routes is being updated.
15. Yell.ru
Yell, according to the developers, already contains 1 million reviews of 2 million companies throughout Russia.
16. Mere
An application that makes a list of "tasks" for walks and monitors their implementation. Of russian cities Saint Petersburg and Suzdal are available.
17. Strana
Guide to Russia. Contains the history of cities, poster, rating. The "Travel Wizard" service is available, where you can choose an interesting tour or excursion and leave a request. For those who are in search - a rating of cities and places in Russia where you can plan a trip.
IN last years Startups are rapidly conquering the travel market: Uber has long won a niche from the traditional taxi, and vacation rentals are replacing the usual hotels. But that's not all - with the help of online platforms, travelers can easily find a guide among the locals who will gladly introduce the country from the inside. We have selected seven of the most interesting online services and applications.
Tours by Locals
Online platform Tours by Locals over the nine years of its existence, it has managed to unite more than 2,000 guides and cover 159 countries. Only very small areas of shallow lagoons remain undeveloped, for example, Crooked Island, an island that is part of the Bahamas.
Here travelers can either suggest their own route to the guide or choose an existing one. For example, for those who prefer quiet and secluded places, the service offers an eight-hour excursion to picturesque regions South Island New Zealand. The journey will start at cruise port Akaroa by meeting a local guide. The program includes a tour of almost all the picturesque landscapes of the Canterbury region - in eight hours, tourists will see Rakaia Gorge, Coleridge Lake, mountain pass Porter Pass and Crustchurch, New Zealand's third largest city. In addition to exploring the Southern Region, the program also includes a traditional dinner. National cuisine the country is represented by exotic Maori dishes - fried scorpions and larvae, snails and sheep's eyes.
There are also less intricate routes on the online platform, for example, excursions to the main attractions Western Europe... On the site it is possible to order both a group tour and an individual one. Accordingly, the price will depend on the choice - usually it does not exceed $ 100 per person.
Show around
The Show Around online platform is considered one of the leading travel startups: the service has gathered more than 80 thousand local residents under its wing and is already available in 204 countries.
Unlike a number of other similar services, Show Around performs only one function - it finds a guide. The route of the excursion is planned after choosing a temporary companion, there are no ready-made options here.
Perhaps the main advantage of the platform is the business cards of local guides. You can find literally everything here - detailed information about the interests and knowledge of the culture of the region of each registered guide.
The tourist can rate his guide, as well as write a comment. “It keeps the guides on their toes and creates conditions for healthy competition that motivate people to work hard,” says Show Around founder Linas Sablowski.
The average price of a tour is about $ 15 per hour.
Show Around has had an iOS app for a long time and recently mobile service became available for Android users as well.
Shiroube
The approach of the Japanese online service Shiroube is somewhat different from the others - first of all, a tourist chooses a section of interest, for example, "Art and History", "Nature and Adventure", "Food and Wine", and only then starts looking for a guide. Using the site is very simple: there is an advanced search that allows you to select the language, age and even gender of the guide. Each guide has its own profile, where tourists can see photos, main interests and suggestions.
There is no base of ready-made excursions here - the local guide comes up with a personal route for each client. However, the developers of the service still collect some statistics, for example, the site regularly updates lists with the most common locations and recommendations. So, during a trip to Shanghai locals offer to walk along Nanjing Street and try dumplings - a dish similar to dumplings, but cooked according to an old Chinese recipe.
The service is focused on a fun pastime with visiting nightclubs, various workshops and non-tourist pubs, and the price of a tour usually does not exceed $ 400 for a group of four.
The creators of Embark.org have chosen a narrower niche for themselves - the service is suitable for lovers of outdoor activities and extreme sports. As the developers note, the platform is more focused on building a community with one common interest - a passion for active travel. As a result, the creators managed to combine business with pleasure - to unite fans extreme tourism and give the opportunity for non-professional guides to earn.
This platform is good because it gives you the opportunity to find a person who organizes you leisure even in the center big city... For example, together with a guide, you can try yourself in rock climbing in the Fontainebleau forest, the road to which from Paris will take no more than 40 minutes. Half of all offers are excursions for several days. The service offers extreme activities such as three days rafting in India, kayaking in Croatia and an eight-day hike to the peak on the border of Valle d'Aosta and Piedmont in Italy, all in the company of a local guide who knows his business.
The site also has a blog where travelers share their experiences, which will help you choose from a variety of options what is right for you.
Guide prices start at $ 80 per person per day.
The online platform Vayable, launched just last year, has already earned the attention of The New York Times, CNN and The Wall Street Journal.
The service is focused on the central cities of Western Europe and Great Britain. The developers approached the project thoroughly: local guides not only tell, but teach. For example, one of the proposals is a course on photography of Paris at night. The guide will guide tourists through Latin Quarter and the Seine River, as well as how to take good night portraits.
Rent a Guide
Rent a Guide, a German startup, offers guide services for all kinds of vacation activities - from dining in the best national traditions on the 123rd floor of the Burj Khalifa to flying to hot-air balloon or jeep safari in the Arabian deserts. For those who love hiking, Rent a Guide will prepare tourist excursions to the capital cities of Western and Eastern Europe.
The hot air balloon ride will cost $ 300, and the jeep safari will cost $ 45.
Airbnb, an online rental platform, launched the Trips project relatively recently - last fall. On this moment the service operates in 12 cities and offers over 500 excursions. The startup is more focused on recreational activities that locals can talk about. For example, you can visit a violin workshop in Paris, drive vintage cars, and even take part in a marathon in Kenya.
"We want to return to travel an element of magic, in the center of which are people," - said the head of the company Brian Chesky.
In addition, you can try yourself in charity and take part in socially significant events such as helping stray dogs and a master class on creating art from garbage.
Unlike other online platforms, Trips has a highly functional app, so with Airbnb and its new service, you can plan your trip literally from start to finish.
What is the essence of our proposal?
Our offer is addressed to private guides who are interested in advertising their services on our travel site. We invite you to place information about yourself and your services on the site absolutely free!
As an example, we suggest you take a look at what it might look like. This page is just an example and does not represent a real guide.
Why cooperation with us can be beneficial for you?
Our project is a little over a year old, but during this period we have achieved good results. Already posted on our website:
- More 11 thousand messages (answers to popular tourist questions, tips, vacation reviews, price information) and more 5 thousand comments to these messages
- Described in detail more than 1200 cities and resorts for all the most popular tourist destinations of more than 100 countries the world
- 50 thousand photos tourist places, 3 thousand video reviews about rest in various resorts, 6 thousand cards to help tourists
Every month our site is visited by order 300 thousand people... These are the people who are going on vacation and want more information on how to better plan their vacation. Information about your services would be very helpful for them.
How it works?
1. Registration on the site
The first thing you need to do is on the website. This process will only take a couple of minutes of your time. After registration, go to your personal Areawhere you can upload your photo, customize your avatar and fill out the contact details section: 
At this stage, your personal page will look very modest and will not give you a result. But this is not for long, go to the next step.
2. Design of the personal page of the guide
Now you need to activate the partner functions. To do this, use the user menu and go to the "Partnership" section. We offer our partners to decorate their personal page with a text with a greeting and brief description services provided. To do this, use the "Edit greeting and service description" button on the partner's main page or the "About me" tab in the partner's menu. 
Your personal page is yours business card on that website. Take this step seriously.
Now that you have your personal page on our site, you can add information about your excursions that you would like to offer our visitors. To do this, go to the "Services Offered" section of the partner interface.
You can add an unlimited number of excursions to our site. Information about them will be published both on your personal page and in the relevant sections of the site. 
You've already done enough to get our visitors noticed, but you can do much more to attract the attention of potential customers to your services. This is not difficult to do.
The essence of our partnership is that you help us by publishing useful information for tourists, and in return, we help you in promoting your services.
So, in addition to your advertising offers, you can post other information (answers to popular questions from tourists, tips for tourists, reviews about vacations), as well as comment on other people's posts, complementing them with your thoughts. This contribution will do you double duty:
At first, next to each of your messages and comments, your name and a link to your personal page will be displayed. Interested site visitors can go to your personal page and see your proposals. 
SecondlyEvery message you post increases your personal rating. This rating is very important in cases where we publish on one page offers of several guides at once. For example, when we have 30 suggestions for excursions in Prague from 5 guides, then the first places will go to the proposals of those guides who have a higher rating on our website.
But don't think that the top rated guide will get all the top spots on the list. As a rule, the best guide will get the first 1-3 places in the general list of proposals. Therefore, you do not need to be the best of the best for information about your offers to get to the first or second page of the section. Your offers will be visible even if you have a zero rating. In addition, for beginners, we have a bonus rating that weakens over time.
We do not publish the formula for calculating the rating for each guide, and we do not explain exactly how it affects the sorting of offers in the general list, however, your activity on the site, the quantity and quality of your posts will help you in promoting your services.
Rules for posting materials
All messages on our site are moderated according to the rules below. Messages that violate these rules will not be published.
1. General rules for all messages on the site:
1.3. Mention of other guides is prohibited and travel companies for organizing excursions. It is forbidden to compare your own and others' prices for services.
1.4. All messages must be written in Russian, in compliance elementary rules spelling.
2. Rules for publishing information about your services:
2.1. At the moment it is allowed to publish information only about individual and group excursions.
2.2. Every service you offer must have detailed description... The minimum message size is 200 characters.
3. Rules for publishing answers to questions, advice, feedback and comments:
3.1. It is forbidden to copy messages or individual offers from other sites. Each of your messages should be unique.
3.2. Your message should be relevant to your chosen topic.
3.4. It is forbidden to publish photos with logos of other sites or signatures. This rule does not apply to video materials.
3.5. Each published comment must contain useful information on the topic of the commented post.
Still have questions?
We look forward to a long-term and fruitful cooperation with you. If you have any questions, problems, or other suggestions regarding our cooperation, then write to us by mail: [email protected]
