I became CEO of GoMio.com approximately 14 months ago, and noticed immediately that our company was missing the most important aspect of travel – the transformative and impactful experience of interacting with locals. Indeed, GoMio does offer travelers the opportunity to find the best possible accommodations at hostels around the world, but I was not satisfied with this.

Having spent more than half of my life living away from my country as the son of an American diplomat, I understand the importance of people spending time with locals in the countries that they are visiting. I firmly believe that the travel experience is enhanced immeasurably when a visitor spends time with a person who understands and knows their own city, town, or village.

This interaction between a visitor and a local results in an understanding between people like no other – it builds tolerance, open-mindedness, and an appreciation for what makes us different and yet the same. Thus, over the course of the last year, we have made it our mission to find ways to connect visitors with locals in the destinations that they travelling.

With this in mind, we will be launching new tools in Q4 that will focus on the local travel experience. This initiative, called “GoLocal”, will be rolled out in the next 60 days. We are proud to be a new member of the Local Travel Movement, and hope to contribute to its growth in some small way. More to follow after launch.

Read more on the GoMio.com website