What Happened to Travelllll.com & Why Did It Fail?

Travelllll.com was a site designed to cover technology and startup trends within the travel industry, aiming to modernize a traditionally slow-to-adapt sector. Launched in 2011, it initially saw success with partnerships and a loyal following. However, it struggled to grow, leading to its closure in 2013.

What Was Travelllll.com?

Travelllll.com was a pioneering website that covered technology and startup trends in the travel industry. Its unique value proposition was to be the "Mashable" for travel, modernizing an industry slow to adapt to new media. Notable achievements included partnerships with major brands and 10,000 page views within 48 hours of launch.

What Happened to Travelllll.com?

The story of Travelllll.com is a compelling narrative of initial success followed by a series of challenges that led to its eventual closure:

• Initial Success and Partnerships: Travelllll.com started strong with good traffic and partnerships with major brands like Expedia, KLM, and TravelZoo. The site quickly gained a loyal following of around 5,000 travel bloggers, indicating a promising start.
• Filling a Market Gap: The travel industry was eager to engage with new media, which made it easy for Travelllll.com to form partnerships. The site filled a perceived gap by covering technology and startup trends within the travel sector, attracting initial interest.
• Struggles with Growth: Despite its early success, Travelllll.com struggled to grow beyond its niche audience. Multiple pivots, including real-time tracking of press trips and a jobs board, failed to attract a significant audience.
• Market Realities: The travel market's infrequent consumer engagement made it difficult to sustain high traffic. Consumers typically engage with travel content only once or twice a year, which posed a significant challenge for the site's growth and monetization strategy.
• Internal Challenges and Decline: Internal frustrations and a decline in content quality and publication frequency contributed to the site's downfall. The inability to attract a large enough audience to support an advertising-based model ultimately led to its closure.

When Did Travelllll.com Shut Down?

Travelllll.com effectively shut down by the beginning of 2013. The site faced challenges such as low traffic, a dwindling content schedule, and difficulties in monetization, which ultimately led to its closure.

Why Did Travelllll.com Shut Down?

1. Infrequent Consumer Engagement: The travel market is fundamentally different from other industries; consumers engage with travel content infrequently. John O’Nolan noted, "Travel isn’t just lagging behind other industries when it comes to social media because it’s a bit slow to catch on. It’s a fundamentally different market."
2. Limited Audience Growth: Despite initial moderate success with partnerships, Travelllll.com failed to grow beyond a small, niche audience. The site had a loyal following of about 5,000 people, but this was not enough to sustain long-term growth or attract significant advertising revenue.
3. Unsuccessful Pivots: Multiple pivots, including real-time tracking of press trips, a jobs board, and video/media coverage, did not find a sustainable audience or business model. Each pivot failed to gain significant traction, leaving the site without a clear path to growth.
4. Demotivated Team: By early 2013, the team was demotivated, and the site’s content quality and traffic had declined. Internal frustrations and a lack of clear direction contributed to the overall decline, making it difficult to maintain momentum.
5. Unfeasible Monetization Strategy: The monetization strategy based on high traffic was unfeasible due to the limited audience. The travel market's nature, where consumers engage with travel content only once or twice a year, made it challenging to sustain the high traffic needed for an advertising-based model.

Lessons Learned from Travelllll.com's Failure

• Understand Market Dynamics: Recognize the unique engagement patterns of your target market to tailor your content and monetization strategies effectively.
• Validate Pivots Early: Test new ideas quickly to determine their viability before fully committing resources to them.
• Maintain Team Morale: Keep your team motivated and aligned with the company's vision to sustain productivity and innovation.
• Focus on Sustainable Growth: Aim for steady, long-term audience growth rather than relying on short-term spikes in traffic.
• Adapt Monetization Strategies: Develop flexible monetization strategies that can adapt to changing market conditions and audience behaviors.
• Quality Over Quantity: Prioritize high-quality content to build a loyal audience, even if it means publishing less frequently.
• Know When to Pivot: Be prepared to pivot but ensure each change is backed by data and market research.
• Engage with Your Audience: Foster a strong relationship with your audience to better understand their needs and preferences.

We Shut Down Startups

Travelllll.com's journey underscores the complexities and challenges of running a startup, especially when market dynamics and internal struggles come into play. If you're facing similar hurdles, Sunset can help you navigate the winding-down process smoothly.

Sunset takes care of all the legal, tax, and operational burdens, allowing you to avoid penalties and reduce liabilities. Book a demo to see how we can help you move on to your next venture seamlessly.