2024: Year of The World’s First Peer-to-Peer Vacation Rental Ecosystem

With the 2023 season behind us, we wanted to take this opportunity to share how far we’ve come before focusing our sights on what we’ll be the biggest year yet for the Dtravel ecosystem. Throughout the last year, we continued to build through the ups and downs of the bear market, crafting a robust direct booking product suite now used by vacation rental operators across the globe. If we were a typical SAAS (software-as-a-service) company, our success so far would be a huge win. We’d likely continue to refine Dtravel Direct and hone in on customer acquisition. However, we’ve got bigger ambitions this year and feel confident in bringing to life the world’s first peer-to-peer vacation rental ecosystem.

Before we get into what’s coming next, let’s reflect on the past year, and what we’ve accomplished to get us where we are today!

2023 Media, Recognition, and Awards

In 2023, Dtravel focused heavily on building a recognizable brand, speaking at both web2 and web3 conferences, events and appearing on many podcasts.

Here are a few of last year’s highlights:

CertiK Interview at ETH Denver - Dtravel’s CEO and co-founder, Cynthia, was interviewed by CertiK at ETH Denver and discussed the problems we’re solving in the vacation rental industry.

Lightnode Podcast - Dtravel appeared on the Lightnode Podcast with saczyyy.eth to discuss how Dtravel is disrupting Airbnb.

Rent Responsibly - Dtravel was awarded Rent Responsibly's "Most Innovative Partner" award.

Skift Short-term Rental 250 - Dtravel made the Skift Short-term Rental 250, a highly respected media outlet for the traditional vacation rental industry.

Short Stay Week - Cynthia, Dtravel CEO and cofounder, spoke at the Web3 in Travel Conference in Barcelona for the Short Stay Week Conference.

Plug and Play - Dtravel’s CEO and co-founder, Cynthia Huang, was interviewed by the Plug and Play Accelerator Program.

BNB Chain Zero2Hero Incubator - Dtravel was accepted into the BNB Chain Zero2Hero Incubator, an intensive resource and mentorship program, providing a deeper connection to the entire Binance team.

Rental Scale-Up Conference - Dtravel partnered with industry leaders including Rental Scale-Up, Price Labs, Lodgify and TouchStay to put on a free 1-hour conference for vacation rental operators.

EUROSPARK - Dtravel partnered with Eurospark to support attendees with finding vacation rentals they could book with crypto in Lisbon, Portugal.

PATHMONK - Dtravel’s CEO and cofounder, Cynthia Huang, appeared on the Pathmonk Podcast and shared how Dtravel leverages community-led growth initiatives.

Zebu Live Partnership - Dtravel partnered with Zebu Live, London’s premiere web3 conference.

Gate3 <> London - The Dtravel Community hosted Gate3 <> London, it’s first ever community-run Dtravel event.

IbizaNXT 2023 - Cynthia Huang, CEO of Dtravel, spoke on a panel about “The Future of Tourism: Impact and Influence of Blockchain and Emerging Technologies”.

The Anyas Podcast - Dtravel’s CEO and co-founder appeared on The Anyas Podcast to discuss how Dtravel is leveraging web3 technology to revolutionize booking travel.

HelloHosty Podcast - Cynthia Huang, CEO of Dtravel, shared how we’re reshaping the short-term rental industry on the Hello Hosty podcast by bringing vacation rental bookings on-chain.

Ethereum Block Summit - Dtravel spoke at the Ethereum Block Summit, a conference in Lisbon focused on expert insights, technical topics and workshops.

Newconomics 2023 - Cynthia Huang, CEO of Dtrave presented at Newconomics 2023, a conference focused on how emerging technologies like AI and web3 will drive new economies.

Women in Web3 Podcast - Cynthia Huang, CEO of Dtravel, was a guest on the Women in Web3 Podcast and shared her journey as a digital nomad, Airbnb host, and co-founder of Dtravel.

Boostly Podcast - Dtravel joined The Boostly Podcast to discuss how vacation rental operators can leverage blockchain and AI technologies to drive direct bookings.

THE COIN REPUBLIC - Dtravel was featured on CoinMarketCap.com and covered in a guest post by The Coin Republic.

Crypto News Bytes - Dtravel and TRVL were featured on CryptoNewsBytes.com.

2023 Timeline

Creating a peer-to-peer vacation rental ecosystem would be impossible without first providing vacation rental operators with the infrastructure needed to reduce their dependence on online travel agencies like Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com. Our primary focus in 2023 was continuing to evolve Dtravel Direct, our blockchain-based direct booking product suite and distribution network for vacation rental operators.

Before sharing what is coming next in 2024, here’s a timeline of how we solidified the foundation for the supply-side of the Dtravel ecosystem:

January

• Vacation rental operators can add a self-hosted domain to their Dtravel Direct powered booking site from any third-party domain provider to align with their branding.
• Operators with a Stripe account connected to their Dtravel Direct booking site can offer and accept both Google Pay and Apple Pay for bookings.
• Optimized domain structures for all Dtravel Direct websites.
• Improved the mobile user interface and experience for all Dtravel Direct powered sites.

February

• Launched custom reservations, a feature allowing Dtravel Direct operators to create and send reservations to their guests in an email or through any form of messaging communication.
• We automated the ability to add a self-hosted domain purchased through either IONOS or GoDaddy, eliminating having to manually edit DNS records.
• Working closely with prominent vacation rental brands, we launched and tested new designs and features.
• Improved Dtravel Direct UI/UX, adjusting the design and style components of checkout pages, enabling express checkout for Apple Pay and Google Pay, and redesigned filter / search pop-up for custom reservations.

March

• We launched the Open Passport, a composable NFT that empowers Travala’s Smart Program Diamond Tier members and a beta version of our travel profile, in partnership with Travala.com.
• Vacation rental operators are able to use a subdomain as their self-hosted domain (e.g. “book.pacificholidayrentals.com”) so that they can link an existing homepage to their Dtravel Direct powered booking engine.

April

• Dtravel Direct operators with a Stripe account can now offer book-now-pay-later (BNPL) as a payment option through a variety of services such as Affirm, Afterpay, Clearpay and Klarna, depending on the country and currency supported.
• We launched a demo version of the Dtravel Direct booking widget, enabling vacation rental operators with an existing booking site to take advantage of the entire Dtravel Direct product suite.
• We improved Dtravel Direct’s manual reservation feature, making it even easier to send quotes to guests, while putting their availability on hold for a specified period of time.

May

• In May, we saw the longest room-night streak processed using the Dtravel Direct booking engine completed in a single booking. The 40 room-night streak ended up saving the guest a considerable amount in fees while putting more money back into the vacation rental operator’s pocket if compared to the same booking having been processed through an OTA.
• We rolled out a plethora of customization options for Dtravel Direct operators including the ability to add a brand name, logo, self-hosted domain, display colors, hero and About us content, FAQs, contact information, and social media accounts.
• Launched the ability to add Google Analytics (GA4) and Facebook pixel tracking. Improved SEO by enabling customization of Meta Title and Description for all Dtravel Direct powered booking sites.
• Released Property Management pages for select property managers who are focused on growing their portfolio of properties.

June

• Launched a partnership with digital trust platform SuperHog, providing Dtravel Direct operators with a $5M Damage Protection and free Guest Screening. Damage Protection Plan and Guest Screening.
• Shipped manual listing creation in closed-beta, a feature that would drastically reduce Dtravel Direct onboarding friction by enabling operators to create their own listings and building out a Dtravel Direct booking site without requiring PMS connectivity.
• Released a major overhaul of the Dtravel.com website in order to better communicate our vision of empowering ownership in travel.
• Launched the Dtravel Ambassador Program, enabling dedicated community members to participate in monthly campaigns aimed at amplifying Dtravel’s message using Galxe for a chance to win $TRVL.

July

• Officially released Dtravel Direct’s manual listing feature, giving vacation rental operators without a PMS a way to start growing their direct booking business.
• Enabled the $5M Damage Protection Plan & free Guest Screening on all crypto bookings.
• Completed an integration with GuestSmiles, a channel manager that would provide Track PMS users and more access to Dtravel Direct.
• Provide support to all vacation rental operators in Thailand, a major market for Dtravel Direct.

August

• In August, we launched the first of many direct booking distribution channels led by our integration with Google Vacation Rentals, adding significant value to our existing customers and waitlisted property managers. Without our integration, this wouldn’t be possible for the majority of operators listed on OTAs such as Airbnb, VRBO and Booking.com.
• Launched the ability to get started with Dtravel Direct simply by importing listing and account information from Airbnb. This streamlined the onboarding process further, now providing three ways for vacation rental operators to create an account.
• Released the ability for Dtravel Direct operators to easily create and send discount or promo codes for use in marketing campaigns, social media and more.
• Enabled Guesty users access to Dtravel Direct by simply connecting their PMS.
• We launched vacation rentals on Ethereum in partnership with Rentujemy.com in time for ETHWarsaw.

September

• Tested a Dtravel Direct Governance Pilot Program, allowing vacation rental operators to voice their opinion on what features they want next.
• Publicly announced that we’ve been working on, Sensei, an AI-powered vacation rental discovery engine designed to accelerate the time it takes to find and book properties directly with owners and operators anywhere in the world. Sensei is set to be our first mass-marketed traveler initiative and second distribution channel for operators.
• Rolled out the ability for Dtravel Direct customers to add trust signals like a Google Business, Airbnb profile, and other social media accounts to boost conversion.
• Enabled GA4 (Google Analytics) and Google Tag Manager ID functionality to improve visitor insights, site performance and conversion optimization for all Dtravel Direct operators.
• Updated the Terms & Conditions content, Privacy Policy and House rules within both Dtravel Direct app and guest-facing pages, customizing each page to an operator’s name so as to ensure that a booking agreement is always between the operator and guest. This also clarifies  Dtravel’s role as an infrastructure provider rather than an intermediary.
• Improved the Airbnb Import feature to show cancellation policies and sync the minimum night stay of all listings imported from Airbnb.

October

• Released a complete overhaul to Dtravel Direct’s onboarding flow, helping operators better navigate how they can get the most out of the product suite, whether that’s using the Dtravel Direct booking site solution, accepting crypto as a payment option, or simply wanting more bookings by accessing new distribution channels.
• Enabled Dtravel Direct connectivity for all customers using either NextPax or Track PMS by way of GuestSmiles. The update brought with it additional benefits such as the ability to receive direct bookings through channels such as HomeToGo, MyGolfVacations, and FloridaTravel.com at no additional cost.
• Updated Dtravel Direct so that operators could seamlessly bulk enable both the $5M Damage Protection Plan and free Guest Screening for all of their listings.

November

• Launched, Dtravel Direct Collective, an experimental product designed to allow existing property managers to easily grow their portfolio without purchasing new inventory, in partnership with Unwind Escapes.
• Updated the ability to use Google Tag Manager to set up GA4 (Google Analytics) and gain a deeper insight into the traffic coming to their direct booking site and listings.
• Released the Dtravel Direct Affiliate Program, allowing community members to earn 50% of our revenue!
• Published a subgraph to The Graph Network, a foundational step toward the development of the Nite Protocol, an open standard protocol for the vacation rental industry. As a result, The Graph Foundation awarded Dtravel a grant to bring booking data on-chain via a subgraph powered by The Graph’s decentralized network.

December

• Continued development Sensei, our AI powered recommendation engine for discovering directly bookable vacation rentals anywhere in the world. In December, we continued to work on basing search around unique travel profiles rather than using the traditional model of “Where” and “When”.
• We shared Nite Protocol litepaper with our advisors and received invaluable feedback ahead of its public release. Launched in partnership with leaders in the vacation rental industry, the Nite Protocol will be the first decentralized protocol aimed at solving the issues related to data fragmentation and costly, inefficient infrastructure. The Nite Protocol will ultimately bring vacation rental bookings on-chain by way of Nite Tokens, opening up the possibility for secondary markets and new opportunities across the vacation rental industry.

Opening Up Accessibility for Travelers

Dtravel Direct has become a robust product suite for vacation rental operators to start and grow their direct booking business. Any vacation rental operator can now create a Dtravel Direct account, launch their own booking site, accept peer-to-peer crypto payments and distribute their listings through our direct booking distribution network.

But what about travelers?

Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about you! 2024 is the year we roll out a full product suite for travelers. From being able to discover vacation rentals that can be booked directly with owners and operators anywhere in the world, to staking $TRVL for rewards and stay credits, this year will be aimed at rounding out the entire Dtravel ecosystem.

Expanding TRVL Utility

We’ve been listening intently to our community and plan to announce a new tokenomics proposal aimed at rewarding ecosystem growth. In fact, the first proposal will be shared in Discord and Telegram before going to a vote. More details on this to come, but for now, here’s what you can expect:

• Increased $TRVL rewards for Dtravel Direct operators to incentivize bookings usage
• Ability for travelers to earn rewards when booking any listing powered by Dtravel Direct
• New utility and rewards based staking programs natively embedded within the Dtravel ecosystem
• Incentives for using $TRVL as a payment method

2024 Product Roadmap

Having made it this far, you should now have a pretty good understanding of the supply-side foundation we established in 2023. With that in good standing, we’re now able to focus on both traveler initiatives and improving connectivity across the industry by way of the Nite Protocol. Here’s a brief look at the product development roadmap coming next:

H1 - Dtravel Ecosystem

Q1 - Discovery & Search

• WaaS (wallets-as-a-service)
• Dtravel Direct v3 booking contracts and Nite Tokens for each booking
• Traveler discovery and search (Sensei)
• Launch of new TRVL tokenomics including governance and v1 TRVL staking and distribution program

Q2 – Ecosystem Growth

• Traveler booking history and management
• Expand booking contracts to other L1s and L2s
• Protocol partner onboarding
• Crypto Pay widget for all operators
• Web3 communities can put forth proposals for their token to be added as a payment method on all Dtravel Direct powered booking sites and widgets

H2 - Dtravel Ecosystem

• Stay Keys
• Open sourced development of Dtravel ecosystem products
• Web3 distribution partnerships (e.g. Travala, Telegram etc)
• Launch of other tokenomics initiatives

Direct Booking Sites Primed for Distribution

We're making it easy for vacation rental operators to start and grow their direct booking business. To do this, we're not only focused on improving the features that come with Dtravel Direct, but also how we can help property managers drive more bookings.

Create a premium direct booking site with Dtravel Direct in minutes and get ready for our distribution network.

Get Started

Join the Community

Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Telegram | Discord