Cool Cousin is a VC-backed start-up founded to revolutionize the way people travel. Since launching in June 2016, over half a Million travelers have used Cool Cousin to explore 65+ cities, with trusted city guides curated by 1,000± locals—aka Cousins. Crowned by the New York Times, L.A Times, The Guardian and National Geographic as a “must app for travelers”, Cool Cousin is perfectly positioned to become the place where mainstream travelers adopt cryptocurrency.
In 2016, Travel & Tourism contributed $7.6 trillion to the global economy, or 10.6% of the world’s total GDP—that's one in every 10 jobs on the planet. Millennials, known for their increased spending power, are a considerable driving force of this flourishing industry. Members of this generation, now considered the largest living generation on the planet, spend an average of $4,500 during 35 days of travel each year.
Searching for relevant travel information online has become an impossible task. The business model that keeps the internet free has drowned our feeds in irrelevant information, creating overload and feedback loops that we can’t escape. Seasoned travelers are aware of the manipulations onlines, but still struggle to avoid fake reviews, biased content boosted by corporate marketing budgets and powerful agendas that modify their search pages. As a result, much of a traveler’s vacation time (and dime) is wasted on mediocre experiences that don’t fit their vibe.
The most valuable source of information about a new destination is a local friend - a trusted insider who knows your taste and can direct you to places that suit you. Cool Cousin is the closest thing to having a trusted friend in every city in the world. Founded as an antidote to the growing frustration with online travel services, Cool Cousin directly connects travelers to like-minded locals - aka Cousins - for an open and unbiased exchange of local knowledge and services. Using the app, travelers can search through a list of Cousins in their destination, explore their distinct city guide, and reach out for customized guidance and services. Traveler’s using Cool Cousin connect on average with 4 Cousins and inquire about accomodation, timing their visit, commute issues, current events, and other logistic and personal interests—exactly what people turn to travel agents for.
Looking at the growing frustration with online travel info, it should come as no surprise that travelers are once again seeking travel agents to plan their trips. In 2016, 34% of millennials turned to a travel agent, despite their access to free information online. What they’re looking for, and are willing to pay for, is curation and clarity—the very thing missing on the internet. Our cousins are in fact a refined and improved version of the old-school travel agent. They’re local, they’re in the know, they’re just like you and their main incentive is for you to have a fantastic time in their city.
Cool Cousin is introducing the open-source cryptographic token CUZ. Building on the Ethereum platform, CUZ is created to solve the biggest challenges that centralized network-based platforms face: Remaining unbiased while scaling, and maintaining affordable rates for all participants. CUZ is at the core of Cool Cousin’s Reward Engine, built to incentivise community participants to self-sustain the quality of the content and services. Using smart contracts, Cool Cousin will draw a clear line between the company and the community, making sure corporate interests don’t corrupt the authenticity and trustworthiness of the content. By gradually delegating governing powers to the community and using blockchain payment solutions, the company will reduce overhead costs, ensuring users have access to trustworthy information and affordable services that enhance their travel experiences.
