The introduction of a bespoke travel booking platform for ship crews says a lot about where to recover early.

UK business travel startup TapTrip developed Vessul, a business travel and spending tool specifically designed for the maritime industry. For example, crews can get to ships on time. Unique features include the ability to combine up to 255 passengers from multiple cities and up to 25 flights in a single booking.

The maritime industry is huge and includes cruise ships, container ships, and energy companies. This latter sector has complex travel needs, be it transporting workers to oil rigs by helicopter or shipping ships to maintain offshore wind farms.

A mix of 20 travel agents and shipping companies are testing Vessul amid signs of a recovery in the travel industry for the maritime industry, fueled by decarbonization projects and the push for renewable energies Oil and gas companies are reporting high losses.

Visit us on March 17th at the Skift Business Travel and Future of Work Summit

Amadeus predicts marine companies will lead overall non-leisure recreation this year. After his Survey of executives in the global corporate travel industryperformed with the Business travel association51 percent said this is the sector that would rebound first, followed by large companies at 37 percent.

Plans in motion

There have been a number of significant developments recently.

On Thursday, ATPI announced that it had taken over the German travel agency Hamburg Sud travel agency from the shipping giant AP Möller – Maersk.

“Our Nordic shipping companies in Norway and Denmark as well as the southern European shipping companies in Greece and Cyprus have all highlighted the need to have a physical presence in Hamburg,” said Adam Knights, Regional Director Europe and Middle East at ATPI.

There is also an element of modernization. TapTrip claims that 98 percent of travel bookings for oil and shipping companies are offline, and with Vessul it aims to reduce that to 30 percent.

In 2019, the total marine technology sector was valued at $ 106 billion, which is projected to grow to $ 278 billion by 2030. according to Inmarsat.

TapTrip founders, from left: Jack Timblin, CTO; Neil Ruth, COO; and Thomas Young, CEO. Image: TapTrip

Risk capital is also increasing.

Rain making just has launched a special $ 23 million fund called Motion ventures, with the aim of disrupting shipping and port business. The Signal Group also has a new venture building and strategic investment line. Signal Venturesfor shipping.

ATPI itself has a Fund called Endeavor last Februaryto invest in disruptive travel launches, including TapTrip, which has invested $ 1.4 million to date. In November TapTrip raised $ 3.5 million, supported by Barclays, Techstars, Startup Funding Club, EasyJet and ATPI.

Cleaner and more environmentally friendly

More and more UK travel management companies are preparing for growth, either anchored in the North Sea or further afield.

Great Britain is that The world’s largest market for the development and use of offshore wind energyThe southern North Sea is the most densely populated area for offshore wind projects. As a result, many companies are preparing to share their expertise around the world.

“There is a big change in direction from the traditional oil and gas sector to renewable energy and decarbonising the environment,” said Kevin Harrison, CEO of Good travel managementthat has just taken over collapsed maritime specialist Horncastle Travel‘s slot as Lufthansa city center Member.

Harrison has seen more startups come into the sector. “When the UK is a leader, it gives companies business opportunities to sell these services overseas, which goes into the travel sector. Many of them qualify for the sea and offshore tariffs, ”he said.

The Block Island wind farm off Rhode Island is the first commercial offshore wind farm in the USA. Image: Unsplash

Good Travel Management has its own Marine division and expects stronger growth than the traditional corporate travel business.

CWT specialist Energy, Resources and Shipping divisionMeanwhile, it has been supporting the travel needs of the renewable energy industry for a number of years and is seeing a shift in both transforming large traditional oil and gas companies in line with their own net-zero initiatives and new companies entering the region.

“We are seeing the fastest growing solar, onshore and offshore wind farms across the renewable energy industry,” said Carrie McCabe, director of CWT Energy, Resources & Marine.

Following the decision of President Joe Biden to Re-entry into the global climate pact of the Paris Agreementthe sector is expected to continue growing.

A model for the future?

More business travel agents may be looking for part of the action now but will have to do their homework.

Manchester-based TapTrip began researching the maritime sector prior to the pandemic after it decided to stop selling direct to companies and instead license its platform to other “legacy” agencies.

“We’re not a travel agent competitor,” said Neil Ruth, its chief operating officer. “There were so many booking tools on the market that we wanted to diversify. We want to expand away from pure business travel. That has always been part of the revenue strategy and we see a greater opportunity to help the old players. “

CEO Toby Young, who was previously a product manager at Booking.com, said other online booking tools had tried to break into the maritime market before but used the “same narrative” for business travel.

“There are many different languages ​​to overcome,” he said. “We found this really unique place that inspires me every day because I learn about a new industry every day,” he said.

TapTrip has other industry-specific platforms in the pipeline, including sports. In the meantime, expect more travel tech startups to find their sea legs as part of their own post-pandemic recovery strategies.

Register now for the Skift Business Travel and Future of Work Summit on March 17th

See full article

Photo credit: Shipping companies are faced with complex travel logistics when they change their crew. Moto Moto SC / Unsplash

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR