Youth travel tech company, Global Work & Travel, launches its own social network

The world's leading gap year travel company has launched its own custom-built social media platform for its customers which is designed to help them connect with other solo travelers on their trips abroad.

Global Work & Travel has rolled out its Social platform inside its customer app, gWorld, which it describes as "ground breaking technology" for the youth travel industry.

The platform allows the company's travelers to connect with one another before and after they've landed on their trips and organize social get-togethers, events and parties. It also provides access to a new feature called Global Getaways which allows customers to join unique "bucket list" side trips with other like-minded travelers organized by the company's Community Managers.

"We've been told by our travelers that the biggest barrier to going overseas and doing a working holiday or teaching abroad or any sort of long-term overseas work & travel trip, is that they don't know anyone, and it's scary to go solo and leave your comfort zone back home," said Global Work & Travel CEO and Co-founder, Jürgen Himmelmann.

"We're now alleviating that barrier to travel with this gap-year-industry-first technology.

"This is why we decided to develop and launch our own social network that's been custom made and developed in-house by our talented tech team, doesn't use any out-of-the-box software or solution that other brands might, and it now reduces that barrier for young people to travel abroad," Mr Himmelmann said.

gWorld Social has been in development for the past 18 months during Covid and a beta version was launched in January in Canada to test and refine the technology and the user experience. It is now available to Global's customers on every continent, except Africa.

Recently, 15 of Global Work & Travel's customers in Canada used gWorld Social to arrange a ten pin bowling and drinks get-together independently in Banff, without the need for any Global representatives to host.

"We used the platform to get a whole bunch of us traveling in Canada together for a night out," said British traveler Samantha Bruty, 31, of Barnstaple in North Devon.

"I thought we'd only get a handful of people but the response was way better than expected and we had a great session. The company paid for it too!"

The Australia-based Global Work & Travel is one of the world's leading and largest "work & travel" marketplaces. It has specialized in, and developed an extensive range of, work and travel and study trips since it was founded in 2008, backed by the mantra of "Be more than a tourist". Its trips are designed for people to travel for longer by being able to work abroad to fund their journeys.

The company's headquarters is on the Gold Coast in Australia, with three other offices in Melbourne, London and Vancouver. It has more than 100 staff worldwide.

The company operates primarily in six countries - the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Ireland - and it provides Working Holiday packages along with Volunteer, Au Pair, Teaching English, Internship, Tutor, Remote Work and Study trips.

"So, if you're going overseas to spend six months working in a ski resort in Canada or you're looking to spend four months working on a Barrier Reef island in Australia or you're going to teach English in Costa Rica for eight months, you don't have to worry about going solo and not knowing anyone," Mr Himmelmann said.

"The social platform is already being heavily used by the travelers in our network who are able to make instant friends with similar interests and swap advice and travel tips."

The social media platform is built into Global's personalized trip portal for its travelers. With its next-release due in the coming weeks, gWorld 5.0, which has also undergone a major redevelopment from its predecessors, it helps travelers do much more than just plan and track the progress of their trip.

The app also allows travelers to:

> Upload, download and access important documents including flight tickets and travel insurance policies.

> Make payments, check the weather and a countdown until departure.

> Create a professional resumé with the help of a resumé builder tool.

> Track job opportunities and manage interviews.

> Secure discounts on a range of products and experiences worldwide from partner brands through an exclusive Marketplace.

> Join the community on side trips through Global Getaways and local meet-ups with other travelers.

> Access a range of online courses to learn language basics or upskill before or whilst abroad, particularly in the hospitality and service industries.

The company also plans to extend this social media platform to its sister site, DealsAway.com, so customers with the online travel agency can also connect and meet with other travelers in the same region.

(ends)

50 Cavill Avenue,
Surfers Paradise,
Qld, 4217,
Australia
Contact: ben@globalworkandtravel.com

About Global Work & Travel

Global Work & Travel is a worldwide online youth travel marketplace headquartered in Surfers Paradise, Australia, with offices in Melbourne, Vancouver and London and over 100 staff. Founded in 2008 and having served over 65,000 travellers, Global continues to be the leader in the work & travel sector through its innovation, network and technology.

This release was published on openPR.