Start-ups that are transforming the world of travel and leisure

Israel is a small country, but a giant in innovation and technological research and development. It is a country of cheeky, optimistic problem-solvers, who have created a culture of entrepreneurship. Every year thousands of start-up companies are founded, while international companies such as Google, Apple, Facebook and IBM, open their Israeli branches.

A new Travel experience is evolving in the capital of Start-up Nation

Like so many other aspects in our lives, the experience of tourism and travel has transformed in recent years thanks to several applications developed by Israeli start-ups that have made it internationally. This post will be about applications that provide new travelling experiences, and those that we cannot picture ourselves travelling without.

Israeli start-ups

Tourism Start Ups In Tel Aviv :

Waze
The Israeli navigation application that’s gotten Israelis hooked is handy even for the shortest trips – in order to make sure you’re on the fastest track (very typical of Israelis indeed).
Using the mobile phone’s GPS, this application can identify your location within seconds, and again within seconds, display optional detailed and timed tracks to your destination. Waze accompanies you throughout your travel, and lets you know when and where there are obstacles on your way, police cars, unexpected traffic jams and more.

Gett (Get Taxi)
You’re out on vacation without a car? Prefer travelling by taxi? With the Gett application (formerly known as Get Taxi) you can call a cab within a few minutes using a friendly interface which contains information about the driver and car. You can also pay for the ride on the application.

Moovit
Travelling on a limited budget? Want to ride with the locals? Get the bus using the free and super-friendly Moovit application. Instead of just waiting for the bus, the application provides real-time information about public transportation, guides you to the correct nearby station, tells you where the approaching bus is heading to, how long it will take you to get to your destination, or to another, more suitable bus.

Voyjer
Until recently, travel planning was done using recommendations and impressions of other travels whose views don’t necessarily align with yours – or with reality. Now there’s an application that can tailor your personal travel plan, so you’ll be able to reach the best places. The service costs 5 USD a day.

CoolCousin
CoolCousin is another travel-planning tool that allows you to meet interesting locals categorized by age, interests and familial status, and find the right people for you. A (digital) connection to these people can upgrade your travel experience, provide you with recommendations to restaurants, cafés, shops and exhibitions that suit your taste, as well as guidance on how, for example, to find tickets to an interesting show.

EatWith
Want to eat good food with in a homely atmosphere rather than in a restaurant? The Eat With initiative has a solution, inviting you to be entertained by people who love to cook – at their home. In another way of putting it – this site connects cooks and chefs with people who want to eat with friends, in a different setting. This Israeli start-up began as a pilot, and is now happening in 160 cities in over 30 countries.

A tour around Silicone Avenue
The spearhead of the Israeli start-up industry is found at the heart of Tel Aviv and culminates in Rothschild Avenue. This is the place to experience the entrepreneurial buzz of the Start-up Nation. Many entrepreneurs prefer to open their offices here at the Tel Aviv hub, where their employees are surrounded by nonstop action: cultural events, roof parties and toasts on balconies.

Rothschild Avenue In Tel Aviv

Most of the neighborhood’s companies are small, and operate from apartments turned into offices. These companies want to attract young professionals with an urban lifestyle, who live at the center of town and are free of commitments other than to work.

We begin our tour, of course, with a cup of coffee from one of the Avenue’s many cafés. Sitting around you are professionals who spend long hours bent over their laptops. Many meetings also take place under the Avenue’s trees and in its kiosks.

It is no surprise that start-up employees prefer to get around on their bicycles. The Avenue’s pathways are loaded with all sorts and types of two-wheeled vehicles, electric scooters and even segways. Together with the local and tourist pedestrians they generate quite a commotion in the area, for most of the day.

In recent years technological greenhouses and shared work spaces have sprung up in the area, to assist young entrepreneurs with their emerging ventures. You can peek into one of the shared work spaces open for all for a monthly payment, for example in the “Library” on 9 Ahad Ha’am Street (the Shalom Tower), or at MindSpace at 45 Rothschild Avenue. These spaces rent out personal work stations for entrepreneurs who are making their first steps in the industry, and provide professional services such as graphic and website design, as well as beer taps and coffee machines.

personal work stations for entrepreneurs

For lunch you can choose from an endless array of restaurants in the area: renowned chef restaurants such as Pronto and Hakantina, popular in the media scene; familiar and popular hamburger and pizza chains; as well as small, unique spots, some serving vegan food, and pleasant neighborhood cafés. These abound especially on the nearby Ahad Ha’am and Yehuda Halevi streets.

If at the table next you people are whispering, they just might by talking about the next exit or public offering of yet another start-up.