Travelers' wanderlust fuels social-networking site

Sam Rogoway and Emily Dahlberg were vacationing in the Caribbean surrounded by sandy beaches and sparkling blue oceans. Unfortunately, the locations their guidebook suggested weren't quite so picturesque.

When the book directed the couple to a far-from-hopping bar, it was the last straw. Irritated by the obsolete information of another out-of-touch guidebook, they set out to find a better way to travel.

And Tripmates was born.

The beta Web site, which launched Aug. 1, relies on the online social-networking model to connect travelers eager to swap information and even find travel buddies. Unlike MySpace or Facebook, which were created to connect people around a broader nexus of general networking, Tripmates is designed with a very specific demographic in mind.

Emily Dahlberg and Sam Rogoway

"We aren't trying to be the next MySpace, but we are trying to be the social network for everything travel-related," Rogoway said.

To create the site, the engaged couple abandoned their glamorous Hollywood jobs--Rogoway's as an entertainment attorney and Dahlberg's at a public-relations company--for the often unpredictable world of technology.

Tripmates currently has about 1,500 registered users.

While the site's travel focus may be new to the Web 2.0 social-networking scene, many of its features are not. Tripmates lets people create profiles, showcasing their personal details, which are dubbed "the essentials." This information includes name, age, relationship status, location and occupation. The "excess baggage" section reveals users' favorite and dream destinations, which vary from local states to foreign countries.

Other features of the site include trip blogs, reviews of restaurants and offbeat destinations, photo albums and forums. Site members, who can join for free, can keep trip logs, share details of upcoming trips and even use a "trip tracks" section, which allows globetrotters to input their favorite travel songs. Tripmates also has the equivalent of the "friends" feature from other social-networking sites, where you can view the profiles of other users and comment on their photos, profiles and blogs.

Members can even register to be a "trip guru" for a specific city, becoming the resident expert by fielding questions and making suggestions for hot spots.

Another aspect of the site is the Tripvite feature, "an Evite-type feature, but for travel," according to Rogoway. "We built a really simple, easy-to-use interface that allows you to share the details of a group trip with friends. Then you can keep track of who's coming, easily update the details of the trip, and all your friends are instantly notified."

Prior to embarking on their Tripmates odyssey, the pair had virtually no experience working with electronic media. "This was a first for both of us," said Dahlberg. But Rogoway ultimately sees that perspective as a plus. "It's really simple to use and nice to look at," he said. "Not coming from a tech background has made the site really user-friendly."

In an age of social-networking mania, Rogoway offers insight into why he sees Tripmates as different from other travel sites. "What really makes us special is the interactive capability and the ease to find people to either travel with or seek advice from," he said. "It would have been much easier traveling a couple years ago if we had a site like this."

[cypris1]

Do you know virtualtourist.com?

As a tourism market professional I have been using this site a few years now for just this purpose. I don't understand why this couple is getting this free advertising with their startup.

[Johntriphub]

An alternative for those who know who they are traveling with...

I like this site. It may prove very useful for people who are looking for a travel buddy. Personally, I always know who I want to travel with. Our approach at TripHub (www.triphub.com) is to provide the best way to coordinate and plan group trips and events such as getaway weekends, milestone birthdays, weddings, family reunions, etc. In this case, the travel buddies are clear but the effort to coordinate can be large. We offer the tools and services to greatly simplify the planing process. Who knows, perhaps there are synergies worth exploring with TipMates...?

[thecitizenguide]

Alternatives - trekshare.com

This does appear to be a redundant idea. Sites like www.trekshare.com www.wayne.com www.virtualtourist have existed for years and supply more comprehensive tools to connect with other travelers. I guess the idea of being a Hollywood power couple is supposed to make people latch onto the idea. Good luck.

[Qwavel]

Lots of alternatives to this...

This doesn't reallly seem like news - there are lots of sites that replace the old guide books.

The Yahoo travel site has lots of social interaction, eg. I like their new trip planner feature.

[thecitizenguide]

Bad Reporting

I read 99 percent of this when it was a press release sent out by the startup. This isn't news, it's PR.