Planning
a
group
trip
with
friends
often
comes
with
challenges,
particularly
when
it
comes
to
aligning
everyone’s
budgets
and
preferences.
The
new
hotukdeals
tool
can
help.
Planning
group
trips
can
be
a
minefield
of
social
anxiety
and
financial
stress
but
our
new
online
tool,
www.TripMates.co.uk,
aims
to
ease
these
difficulties
by
allowing
trip
organisers
to
manage
plans
anonymously
and
making
sure
everyone
invited
can
afford
and
enjoy
the
trip
that
ultimately
gets
planned.
How
TripMates
works
TripMates
provides
a
straightforward
solution
by
enabling
trip
organisers
to
select
multiple-choice
questions
covering
key
trip
aspects
such
as
budget,
destination
preferences
and
activity
ideas.
Once
the
desired
list
of
questions
has
been
selected,
the
organiser
simply
needs
to
add
in
the
email
addresses
of
all
those
the
trip
planner
needs
to
be
sent
to,
and
they’re
also
provided
with
a
link
they
can
send
directly
over
text,
WhatsApp
or
email.
organisers
can
easily
send
a
form
to
all
attendees.
(Source:
TripMates/hotukdeals/screenshot)
Upon
receiving
an
email
from
TripMates
to
confirm
the
trip
enquiry
has
been
set
up,
attendees
can
anonymously
respond
to
the
pre-set
questions,
offering
their
input
without
the
fear
of
judgement.
get
an
request
to
fill
in
the
form.
All
information
can
be
sent
in
anonymously.
(Source:
TripMates/hotukdeals/screenshot)
The
importance
of
using
anonymity
to
reduce
the
stress
and
social
anxiety
of
saying
“no”
to
an
expensive
trip
or
activity.
“We
know
that
the
anonymity
aspect
is
a
really
important
part
of
this
tool”,
said
our
very
own
resident
consumer
champion
and
money
saving
expert,
Vix
Leyton.
“All
too
often
people
end
up
spending
loads
of
money
that
they
simply
don’t
have,
just
because
they
have
no
way
to
quietly
and
anonymously
duck
out
of
a
trip
they
can’t
afford,
without
being
perceived
to
lose
face.
The
anonymous
factor
was
a
must
have
for
us
when
we
were
designing
TripMates.co.uk.”
This
approach
helps
planners
gauge
the
group’s
desires
without
anyone
feeling
pressured
to
agree
to
something
they
can’t
afford
or
would
prefer
not
to
do.
Participants
can
also
select
deal
breakers
or
opt-out
if
their
preferences
aren’t
met
or
they
simply
can’t
attend,
ensuring
everyone
is
comfortable
with
the
final
plans.
During
the
setup
process,
a
deadline
can
be
set.
After
it
passes,
both
the
organiser
and
attendees
receive
an
email
summary
of
who
wants
to
attend.
This
helps
the
organiser
plan
the
trip
based
on
affordability,
travel
distance,
duration,
preferred
activities,
and
any
deal
breakers.
As
well
as
allowing
the
organiser
to
provide
a
few
options
to
create
a
more
tailored
trip,
deal
breakers
include
X,
Y
and
Z.
the
form,
multiple-choice
questions
covering
key
trip
aspects
are
answered.
(Source:
TripMates/hotukdeals/screenshot)
Addressing
a
common
money
problem
The
launch
of
TripMates
was
backed
by
our
recent
research
that
revealed
a
worrying
trend:
almost
a
quarter
of
young
adults
have
taken
out
credit
cards
to
attend
social
events
like
weddings
or
hen
parties.
The
fear
of
seeming
rude
or
feeling
embarrassed
often
drives
people
to
spend
beyond
their
means.
With
TripMates,
the
hope
is
to
reduce
this
social
spending
anxiety
by
making
financial
limitations
a
natural
part
of
the
planning
conversation.
What
can
you
plan
with
TripMates?
This
tool
is
particularly
useful
for
organising
events
like
hen
and
stag
dos,
milestone
birthdays
or
even
golf
trips.
By
allowing
everyone
to
have
their
say
in
a
manner
that
respects
their
financial
boundaries
and
holiday
preferences,
TripMates
fosters
a
more
inclusive
and
financially
responsible
approach
to
group
travel.
At
the
end
of
the
day,
the
goal
of
TripMates
is
to
ensure
that
these
events
are
enjoyable
for
everyone
without
the
added
burden
of
debt.
will
show
how
many
people
responded
to
the
request.
(Source:
TripMates/hotukdeals/screenshot)
“Talking
about
money
has
been
taboo
for
too
long.
With
it
being
seen
as
crass
to
discuss
financial
situations,
we
all
risk
falling
into
the
trap
of
going
into
debt
keeping
up
appearances
when
we
would
prefer
to
spend
less
and
are
hoping
someone
else
speaks
up.
Social
media
has
pressured
organisers
into
trying
to
deliver
a
picture-perfect
experience,
and
in
doing
so
they
risk
not
having
the
people
they
want
the
most
at
the
event
as
they
are
priced
out,
or
worse,
sending
their
friends
and
family
into
debt
who
want
to
be
there
for
them
despite
the
cost.”
“Hopefully
this
tool
takes
away
the
stress
of
being
honest
about
what
you
can
afford,
and
make
sure
any
event
you
are
organising
is
priced
in
an
accessible,
realistic
way
to
get
the
most
people
there
having
the
best
time,
without
worrying
about
the
financial
hangover.”
Our
new
online
tool
can
be
found
at:
www.TripMates.co.uk.