TravTalk India Online Magazine
Emerging as a transformative force in the travel trade industry, Xmytravel is empowering professionals with new income streams and opportunities. From retired airline staff to seasoned consultants, the platform offers a structured way to monetise expertise. By bridging travellers with verified specialists, the company is driving employment, transparency, and sustainable growth across the evolving ecosystem of tourism, says Rishabh Vyas.
Surbhi Sharma
In an era where travellers are flooded with online content, anonymous advice, and AI-generated itineraries, trust has become the missing link in the travel ecosystem. Rishabh Vyas, Founder, Xmytravel, observed this gap while running his travel management company. Despite professionals spending hours curating itineraries, clients often shifted to OTAs for discounts. This disconnect inspired him to create a platform where expertise is recognised, verified, and respected. Xmytravel positions itself as the trust layer of travel — a space where travellers can confidently engage with credible, accountable professionals.
From transactional to relational travel
In conversation with TravTalk, Vyas highlighted that, unlike the old ecosystem driven by commissions and one-off sales, his company is building a relational model based on knowledge-sharing, credibility, and transparency. Travellers interact with verified experts — airline professionals, visa specialists, destination planners, and niche consultants — who offer personalised guidance backed by years of experience. By shifting the focus from ‘finding information’ to ‘trusting expertise,’ the platform is elevating the role of travel professionals in the digital age.
Creating opportunities for travel experts
The company is not just solving problems for travellers; it is empowering professionals. Many retired airline staff, consultants, and destination specialists often struggle to monetise their decades of experience after stepping out of full-time roles. For them, the company creates an employment avenue where knowledge is converted into money. Experts earn through direct consultations, curated responses, and collaborations within the platform. This model ensures that wisdom accumulated over the years does not go untapped but instead contributes meaningfully to guiding the next generation of travellers.
Trust via transparency & accountability
One of the platform’s biggest differentiators is its invite-only, credibility-first approach, said Vyas, while highlighting that each expert undergoes a rigorous vetting process, including reference checks, industry affiliations, and a trial phase to demonstrate depth of knowledge. Profiles are transparent, complete with credentials and professional history, ensuring travellers know exactly who they are engaging with. Unlike faceless forums or AI tools, the unique platform ties every piece of advice to a verified professional identity, making accountability the cornerstone of its ecosystem, he said.
Tech an enabler, not a replacement
While AI and digital tools play a supporting role — powering matchmaking, discovery, and seamless access — the company emphasises that technology cannot replace human expertise. A traveller may be connected to the right visa consultant via algorithms, but the insights, insider tips, and nuanced recommendations will always come from verified human experts. This balance ensures efficiency without compromising authenticity.
Uplifting industry & driving collaboration
Beyond individual consultations, the company envisions itself as a B2B collaborator with tourism boards, operators, and trade associations. Verified experts could play roles in campaigns, product validation, or destination showcases, further strengthening the industry’s professional backbone. By building a structured platform for experts to monetise their knowledge, the platform contributes to the upliftment of the wider travel trade while creating new income streams and employment opportunities.
Future of travel expertise
Looking ahead, Vyas envisions his company as the world’s most trusted hub for travel expertise — where travellers, operators, and tourism bodies turn for guidance rooted in credibility and ethics. For professionals, it is not just a platform to earn, but a stage to showcase their expertise, build trust, and contribute to a stronger, more transparent travel ecosystem, he concluded.
