Key Points
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Timeleft: Charges $19.99/month in the U.S. to seat four to six strangers at restaurant tables, boasting over 4 million members in 200+ cities across 52 countries. Meals are additional.
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WeRoad: Reports that 90% of its ~100,000 annual customers are solo travelers. They raised $58 million in May, led by Airbnb, and plan local dinners, hikes, and runs through WeMeet, attracting 50,000 attendees at 2,000 events in 35 cities by 2025.
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Hostelworld: Testing standalone social features with its Social Pass, which ranges from €4.99/week to €59.99/year, without requiring bookings. Their data shows members using social features book about twice as often as those who don’t.
Summary
Social organizing is emerging as a marketable product for travel companies. A survey by Data for Progress reveals that the percentage of Americans hosting friends or family at home monthly has drastically declined from 42% in 1975 to just 12% today, while 29% of U.S. households consist of single individuals. This trend allows companies to monetize group assembly rather than traditional offerings like meals or itineraries.
Timeleft provides a service for strangers to share meals, while WeRoad has successfully tapped into solo travel and local social events, following a substantial funding round. Hostelworld is redefining itself as a social network-powered online travel agency (OTA) with a significant community presence and social subscription offers. Other companies like Intrepid, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Airbnb Experiences are also exploring similar avenues, moving away from past challenges in making local dining social experiences scalable and focusing more on establishing a social life within cities before integrating visitors.
