Should I Build It Should I Build It
01 Jul 2025
Travel Dating

I want to create an app that dating app for travellers

Confidence
Engagement
Net use signal
Net buy signal

Idea type: Minimal Signal

There’s barely any market activity - either because the problem is very niche or not important enough. You’ll need to prove real demand exists before investing significant time.

Should You Build It?

Not yet, validate more.

Your are here

Dating apps for travelers fall into a niche that currently shows minimal market signal. With only a couple of similar products identified, confidence in the opportunity is low, and the average engagement is also low. This means it's crucial to validate the idea extensively before dedicating significant resources. The market is either very niche or the problem might not be pressing enough for most travelers. You'll need to gather solid evidence that demand exists before you consider investing serious time and effort into this idea. Think of this as a "validate more" situation.

Recommendations

  1. First, identify online communities where travelers congregate—hostels, travel forums, expat groups, digital nomad communities—and present your dating app concept. Gauge their interest by asking specific questions about their frustrations with meeting people while traveling and what they'd look for in a travel-focused dating app. Don't just ask if they like it, ask probing questions.
  2. Offer to manually connect potential users. For example, create a simple Google Form to gather profiles and preferences, and then manually introduce people who seem like a good match. This lets you test the core value proposition of connecting travelers without building any app yet. Based on the "Travel Link" criticism, make sure that your matching algo is more than general.
  3. Develop a concise explainer video showcasing how the app would solve the problem of meeting like-minded people on the road. Emphasize unique features tailored to travelers, such as itinerary-based matching or location-specific events. Track how many people watch the video in its entirety, as this indicates genuine interest.
  4. Gauge commitment by asking interested individuals for a small, refundable deposit to join a waiting list for the app's launch. This serves as a tangible measure of their desire for the product and helps filter out casual browsers from serious users. For example, you could sell early access for $5 to weed out the tire kickers.
  5. If you cannot secure at least five truly interested individuals in about 3 weeks, take a step back and reconsider the idea, but don't be afraid to pivot. It might be necessary to rethink your approach or explore alternative niche areas within the travel market. Perhaps focus on a specific age range or type of traveler (e.g., backpackers, luxury travelers).

Questions

  1. Given the low engagement observed in similar products, what specific features or strategies will you employ to ensure sustained user activity and prevent the app from becoming a ghost town after the initial launch?
  2. Considering the potential for traveler itineraries to change, how will the app handle re-matching users whose travel plans no longer align, and what alternative connection mechanisms will be offered in such cases?
  3. What is your strategy for ensuring user safety and combating potential scams or inappropriate behavior, given that travelers might be more vulnerable in unfamiliar environments?

Your are here

Dating apps for travelers fall into a niche that currently shows minimal market signal. With only a couple of similar products identified, confidence in the opportunity is low, and the average engagement is also low. This means it's crucial to validate the idea extensively before dedicating significant resources. The market is either very niche or the problem might not be pressing enough for most travelers. You'll need to gather solid evidence that demand exists before you consider investing serious time and effort into this idea. Think of this as a "validate more" situation.

Recommendations

  1. First, identify online communities where travelers congregate—hostels, travel forums, expat groups, digital nomad communities—and present your dating app concept. Gauge their interest by asking specific questions about their frustrations with meeting people while traveling and what they'd look for in a travel-focused dating app. Don't just ask if they like it, ask probing questions.
  2. Offer to manually connect potential users. For example, create a simple Google Form to gather profiles and preferences, and then manually introduce people who seem like a good match. This lets you test the core value proposition of connecting travelers without building any app yet. Based on the "Travel Link" criticism, make sure that your matching algo is more than general.
  3. Develop a concise explainer video showcasing how the app would solve the problem of meeting like-minded people on the road. Emphasize unique features tailored to travelers, such as itinerary-based matching or location-specific events. Track how many people watch the video in its entirety, as this indicates genuine interest.
  4. Gauge commitment by asking interested individuals for a small, refundable deposit to join a waiting list for the app's launch. This serves as a tangible measure of their desire for the product and helps filter out casual browsers from serious users. For example, you could sell early access for $5 to weed out the tire kickers.
  5. If you cannot secure at least five truly interested individuals in about 3 weeks, take a step back and reconsider the idea, but don't be afraid to pivot. It might be necessary to rethink your approach or explore alternative niche areas within the travel market. Perhaps focus on a specific age range or type of traveler (e.g., backpackers, luxury travelers).

Questions

  1. Given the low engagement observed in similar products, what specific features or strategies will you employ to ensure sustained user activity and prevent the app from becoming a ghost town after the initial launch?
  2. Considering the potential for traveler itineraries to change, how will the app handle re-matching users whose travel plans no longer align, and what alternative connection mechanisms will be offered in such cases?
  3. What is your strategy for ensuring user safety and combating potential scams or inappropriate behavior, given that travelers might be more vulnerable in unfamiliar environments?

  • Confidence: Low
    • Number of similar products: 2
  • Engagement: Low
    • Average number of comments: 1
  • Net use signal: 90.0%
    • Positive use signal: 90.0%
    • Negative use signal: 0.0%
  • Net buy signal: 0.0%
    • Positive buy signal: 0.0%
    • Negative buy signal: 0.0%

This chart summarizes all the similar products we found for your idea in a single plot.

The x-axis represents the overall feedback each product received. This is calculated from the net use and buy signals that were expressed in the comments. The maximum is +1, which means all comments (across all similar products) were positive, expressed a willingness to use & buy said product. The minimum is -1 and it means the exact opposite.

The y-axis captures the strength of the signal, i.e. how many people commented and how does this rank against other products in this category. The maximum is +1, which means these products were the most liked, upvoted and talked about launches recently. The minimum is 0, meaning zero engagement or feedback was received.

The sizes of the product dots are determined by the relevance to your idea, where 10 is the maximum.

Your idea is the big blueish dot, which should lie somewhere in the polygon defined by these products. It can be off-center because we use custom weighting to summarize these metrics.

Similar products

Relevance

Travel Link - Tinder for Solo Travellers.

20 Aug 2024 Travel Community Vacation

Travel Link is a platform where travelers can find companions. Search for like-minded individuals, send friend requests, and plan trips together. Ideal for solo travelers wanting to share experiences or connect with others on the same journey.

Travel Link is receiving positive feedback, particularly for its ability to connect solo travelers and facilitate finding travel buddies who share similar interests and travel styles. Users see it as a potentially transformative tool for solo travel experiences.

A user questioned the matching algorithm's focus, inquiring whether it prioritizes specific interests or operates on a more general level. This suggests a potential need for clarification or refinement of the matching process to better align with user expectations regarding personalization and interest-based connections.

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