Finding a great local guide or connection can be the key to an amazing trip and there are more options than ever for finding someone to show you around an unfamiliar place. There are new apps and peer to peer marketplaces emerging every day. Our social media networks help us connect to friends of friends in cities around the world. It’s becoming easier every day to find someone willing to share a glimpse of local life with you and we think it’s creating exciting new ways for people to connect for meaningful travel experiences.
But we’ve also noticed a problem. All of these new ways for connecting rely on technology and there are lots of local communities around the world that aren’t tech savvy enough to get started or stand out. So there are thousands of amazing local guides and community-run businesses around the world that have unique experiences to share (and businesses they want to see grow!) that are getting left out or overlooked by travelers. And that means that travelers are also missing out on unique opportunities to experience local life and connect with the places they visit.
At Lokal, we’re making it our mission to support these local guides and community-based projects to share their (incredible) stories.
A local guide can lead you to unique experiences that would be near impossible to find on your own. They can help you push your comfort zone and try things that leave a truly lasting impression. And when you pick guides from local community co-ops, associations and family businesses - you can also create real benefits for the people you visit .
We’re building these local connections around the world and invite you to check it out for yourself!