Travel tech companies are making easier than ever for travelers to book last minute flights, hotels and experiences online, filling a need in a market in which a majority of travelers now book travel online. In 2018 alone, in fact, online travel booking websites reported revenues in the billions of dollars for this still growing market.

It’s not just hotel rooms and flights that travelers seek online, either. Among the services travelers are booking online these days are tours, drawn by the convenience and choice that travel tech companies are offering. Perhaps the two biggest names in the travel tech space that directly sell group tours online are Viator and GetYourGuide. But innovative travel tech companies are increasingly offering travelers more options for booking tours and experiences online.

On-demand private guided tours

One of these companies offering new services in the travel tech space is GuideNow . While other websites offer group tours, this travel tech startup provides private tour guides on demand for all kinds of travelers. The company offers travelers a service that’s tuned in to the needs of individual traveler by offering a personalized approach to guided tours. Sort of like having your own line to a private tour guide on demand, GuideNow lets travelers book a private tour guide on short notice. This is thanks for the site’s last-minute option, which allows users to book private tours even for the same day or the following day!

The startup focuses on small and private group tours through the opportunity to book unique personalized experiences, something not widely available elsewhere. Aiming to be the Hotel Tonight of private group tours and a worldwide service provider of on demand guided tour booking, GuideNow lets users easily book personalized guided tours.

The company’s guided tour booking system allows travelers to explore and experience a destination with a private guide without the need for early preparation, previous bookings or planning. GuideNow users can book an experienced private tour guide in many different languages–currently, most tours are offered in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Italian and Russian–less than 24 hours in advance. What’s more, unlike most group tours, these dedicated guides will meet travelers at their lodging. That, says the company, makes a world of difference as travelers don’t have to contend with group tours that don’t fit their profile, interests, or busy schedule.

Aimed at business travelers and travel agencies

This emphasis on consumers with busy schedules makes GuideNow an excellent option for business travelers, because the company offers complete flexibility without requiring travelers to fit their schedule to a set timetable. The company developed the service especially with busy business travelers who have little time to preplan touristy activities in mind. Business travelers who often have a small window before or after business travel to sightsee can use the service to book last minute private tours that work with their schedule.

According to the website, “The GuideNow solution is also ideal for travel agents that receive last minute booking requests, hotel concierges that need to find guides for their solo guests. It is also ideal for companies that host VIP guests, business meetings or conferences and would like to organize exclusive private tours for guests from a variety of countries, while dealing with only one organizer instead of hiring several tour guides in many languages.”

A range of choices. A chance to be spontaneous.

The site divides tours into daily tours and private tours. Although it currently focuses exclusively on the Middle East, GuideNow plans to soon expand to popular European destinations and beyond. The private tours on offer range from urban and foodie tours to cultural, architectural and archeological adventures, so there’s something for everyone. As for pricing, tour cost depends on the number of guests, with most tours accommodating up to ten guests.

Booking a tour on the site is easy. Users click on a tour of interest–like the Dead Sea & Jerusalem Tour recently featured as a private tour–and are taken to a page featuring a description of the tour and prompting users to enter their chosen details. Next, users pick a language they’d like for the tour, and specify a pickup address. After that it’s on to picking the date, submitting payment and, voila, users are ready to book!

Aside from the many different types of tours on offer and the ease of ordering, GuideNow enables spontaneity in travel planning, which is a win-win for busy travelers. Especially these days when technology often has travelers’ schedules fully planned, it is nice to know that travel tech can help travelers find some of the spontaneity that can make travel so much fun as well.

Over 300 Israeli travel tech startups