If the past two years have taught us anything, it’s how important travel can be to boost our lives. The ability to travel can open up opportunities for collaboration and the exploration of different cultures. It’s that part of travelling that Trippin founders Sam, Kesang and Yasmin wanted to tap into. Their mission? To help people experience different places in a unique and conscious way. We caught up with Sam and Kesang to discuss the future of Trippin, why travelling is more than a list of the best places to drink and eat, and the launch of their rebrand.
Tell us about the origins of Trippin and what inspired you to create the platform?
K: We felt that no one in the travel space spoke to the type of travelers that we are. Ones which want to tap straight into the cultural underbelly of a destination and deeply care about travelling consciously.
S: Exactly that, it was really an antidote to the travel industry’s outdated and purposeless offerings. The world needed a platform that showcased cultures and communities across the world in a more authentic way.
Why is it important for you to explore and connect with different cultures and communities across the world?
S: Travel has the power to change lives. But there are some fundamental problems with it. Unfortunately, it’s incredibly nuanced and the only real silver bullet is to expand our consciousness on the issues. Embedding into cultures and communities in a truly authentic way, spending time to talk and more importantly to listen, will open our minds and allow us to see the world differently.
K: It’s the best catalyst for growth. At Trippin, we always say that travel is transformative. When you have the privilege to connect with different cultures and local communities around the world it unlocks new schools of thought, new philosophies and new ways of doing things by experiencing other people’s realities, it allows you to understand more of who you are yourself.
What are your hopes for the future of Trippin?
S: We are driven by a big vision of changing the way people see the world. So honestly, the sky's the limit. But saying that, we’re keeping focused and prioritising 3 key areas:
Can you tell us about any exciting things you're working on?
K: We’ve just released a whole new suite of content which I’m really excited about. We have levelled up our web experience and editorial and we’re collaborating on some exciting media partnerships which you’ll soon see. Our website now addresses the shift in travel behaviours and the need for authentic inclusivity, with digital tools and content that address police attitudes, drug policy, race relations, LGBTQ+ attitudes and law, and sustainability. Watch this space.
S: Concurrently to the work evolving the Trippin ecosystem, we’ve quietly been building out a creative consultancy arm. We’ve been working behind the scenes for almost a year now, hiring incredible talent and laying foundations for it to make real game-changing work. We are beyond excited to come out from behind the curtains in the coming months.
What was your career experience like before starting Trippin?
S: Somehow I’ve spent 13 years in the creative world now – time really flies. I started out launching campaigns for the likes of Stussy and Nike before moving in-house at Adidas in Germany. I was fortunate enough to play a part in a hugely transformative period for the company driving culture defining moments with the re-launch of Stan Smith, the 2014 Brazil World Cup and the award-winning Glitch app.
K: I’ve always wanted to create something from scratch. I co-founded a music sharing app in my last year of university with friends. It didn’t work out but it ended up being a great learning experience before starting Trippin with Yasmin and Sam a year later.
What does an average day look like at Trippin?
S: It’s bouncing from creative brainstorms to Zoom calls and back to brainstorms. We’re a highly collaborative team and try to bang our heads together as much as we can.
K: The Trippin community now spans over 100 destinations across the world. Each day we collaborate with members of our community to create local stories centred around their culture and who they are. It’s exciting as every day is different.
What career advice would you give your younger self?
S: Don’t let the system de-genius you. That instinct to approach things differently is right. Trust it.
K: I echo what Sam said – trusting your intuition is so important when you are building your own company. When you start to question if you are right, always remember why you started what you are doing. It’ll be your compass.
You can check out Trippin here.
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