And you thought Startups can only bring you shiny new toys? Well, today at The Startup Journal, we’re going for a ride! Tuck right in!
Who are the Howdy Highlands?
Howdy Highlands is an online community that grants exclusive access to extreme adventure trips at members-only prices. The world is the limit for them. Landscape No Bar. Location No Bar. Looks like these guys want to break free from the confines of the cubicle, to the world which is their classroom.
If you’re excited by the prospects of playing with Dolphins in Chilka Lake in Odisha, Rambling across French Colony in Pondicherry, Sipping Sula Wine in Nasik-Pune Road Vineyards, Paragliding the 2nd best spot for paragliding in the world, Bir and spending few nights in the camp-shift of Ladakh, then behold, you’ve come to the right place! The bohemian in you will never be satisfied with just these memoirs as it will always ache for the feel of white sand beneath your feet, the foot-thumping music from the nightclubs of Mumbai, backwaters of Kerela, trekking in Kasol, tasting the Aperitifs and dancing in fiestas of Bangalore. Their expertise lies in extreme sports like heli-skiing the virgin powder in kashmir, rafting class V rivers in Uttrakhand, or surfing in Andaman, they have partnered with elite adventure outfitters and guides across India to offer exclusive packages and discounts on sports and extreme adventure trips and activities.
The company is located in New Delhi and is the brainchild of entrepreneur’s and adventurers from Thapar university Patiala, Punjab.
A team of 10 currently working for the development of this platform and the core team includes Anshul Chauhan – the leader of the company and a traveller himself who has summited mountains over 18000ft and a chemical engineer, Purushottam Meena a climber and a trekker accomplished and has been to more than 18 treks in India and a Mechanical engineer and Abhishek Singh a techie with a Master’s degree in computer science.
Within a year of launch, they have successfully organized more than 60 fixed departures and have more than 12000 customers base. A majority of travellers come from colleges of Delhi, Punjab and Chandigarh. They have organized group travel for Thapar University, Punjabi University, Punjab University, Modi College Patiala, IIT Mandi, APG University Shimla, Bahra University Waknaghat and Delhi University colleges which includes Delhi College of arts and commerce, Kalindi College and Aurobindo College.
Why do they exist?
Price is an important concern for customer booking adventure travel online. Adventure is a service which is not provided by hotels, homestays but by certified professionals. No easy way exists to book it online but through commissioned agents offline.
Finding authentic adventure travel outfitters that cater to real adventurers and explorers is extremely difficult. And that’s how Howdy Highlands make the processing significantly easier by scouring the globe and hand selecting only the best trips run by elite outfitters.
The team prioritizes quality over quantity.
In addition to hand-selecting the best, they’ve created a trip purchasing platform that puts travel inspiration at its core making it more fun to book authentic and extreme adventure travel experiences.
And just to top it off, they negotiate a fantastic members-only discount for every trip!
What they offer?
- Search the adventure sport by your preference and customise is your way.
- Review the listing and book hassle free.
- Rent your adventure gear directly from the inventory.
- HOWDY partners with elite adventure outfitters and guides to offer the members exclusive packages and discounts on extreme adventure trips across India.
- Each week team Howdy drops one incredible “bucket list” adventure in your email inbox.
- Their mission is to inspire and empower our members to live a life of great experiences and adventures. They pair the trip offerings with stunning photography and content from real travel writers.
- The goal is to make browsing and purchasing trips as enjoyable as flipping through the pages of a book and providing on ground experience to its members.
The startup’s revenue is entirely based on commissions from actual trip sales. They do not charge listing or advertising fees, as they believe in directly aligning their interests with those of the customers and the suppliers.
The adventure travel market is a massive opportunity and Team HOWDY is constantly brainstorming new ways to add value beyond trip sales commissions. HOWDY believes custom sponsored content and partnerships with larger adventure and lifestyle brands are a potential next step.
