Noken is a travel platform and experience curator that’s kind of like a bookable Lonely Planet or Hello Alfred for planning international vacations. Noken’s team of experts spend 1,000-plus hours researching top destinations like Japan, Iceland and Portugal — so that you don’t have to — and create customizable “Travel Blueprints” that make it super-easy to book a trip online in just a few clicks. Altogether, Noken provides a modern and time-efficient approach to organized travel.
I had the pleasure of doing Q&A over e-mail with Noken’s CEO and co-founder Marc Escapa about the past, present and future of Noken. More on Escapa and the app can be found online at www.hellonoken.com.
Noken is very different from other travel apps. How would you describe it to someone who hasn’t yet used it?
Noken is a new travel service that builds organized trips that are self guided by an app to help travelers meet new countries. Travelers personalize our curated trips based on their budgets and timelines, then book a full itinerary that includes accommodations, experiences and transportation in one fell swoop. These itineraries balance helpful guidance with the ability to create your own adventure, introducing travelers to the country’s iconic landmarks as well as local gems.
When traveling, travelers can find everything they need in their App Guide including daily routes and the flexibility to check out curated sights, restaurants and shops along the way to personalize on-the-go. Noken gives travelers the best of both worlds: the liberation from countless hours of planning and the guidance on the ground to meet a new country.
Do you have a favorite feature of the app?
The dynamic itinerary is definitely my favorite feature — it really sets Noken apart. With a few taps you can quickly access directions to your hotel, suggestions for where to eat breakfast, booking confirmations for on-the-ground experiences and more! Our chat feature is also incredibly helpful, as it connects you with our Experience Team for real-time support.
How many people work together to put together info on particular destination? What sort of backgrounds do these people have?
Our team spends 1,000+ hours developing each country we offer. The process begins with a tremendous amount of research from our desks, breaking down a country to understand the different cities within the country, the sights and activities in each city, the transportation between cities, the impact of seasons on itineraries etc. After our research, we go to each country to explore in-person and experience everything first-hand to curate the best of the best for our travelers.
Our curation process takes the stance of building an itinerary that introduces a traveler to a country for the first time, so we prioritize and curate with that in mind. For instance, if someone is going to Japan for the first time, they will want to see Tokyo and Kyoto if it’s their one and only time in Japan.
We also collaborate with locals to stay up to date on the new spots in country. The beauty of Noken’s digital-first nature is that our customers help keep the App Guide up-to-date in real time by providing feedback through the chat feature, and we can immediately push changes to all travelers’ App Guides.
What is coming up for Noken in the near-future?
2019 will be a big year for us — we will be steadily unlocking new destinations every month, including New Zealand, Australia, Italy, Peru, Thailand, Ireland and Spain. We’re also currently going through applications for our new “CEO” (Cultural Exploration Officer) and will announce the finalists on January 15th!
Finally, what was the last travel that you did personally?
The last trip I did was to Toronto, visiting a few friends. My favorite part of the trip was cycling around Centre Island.
