Peer-to-Peer Shipping Startup Hitchhiker Joins Africa’s Leading Online Travel Agency Travelstart

Egyptian peer-to-peer shipping startup Hitchhiker are teaming up with Africa’s leading online travel agency to hit two birds with one stone. The mutually beneficial collaboration will boost Egypt’s tourism industry by capitalising on opportunities in the gig economy and helping connected travelers earn money. 

Hitchhiker users can now book flights, hotels and Travelstart’s special travel deals directly through the Hitchhiker app. Whereas Travelstart customers will have the opportunity to earn money while they travel powered by Hitchhiker’s peer-to-peer shipping app that connects cross-border shoppers with travelers who have empty space in their luggage. “This innovative service will make it much easier for travelers to book their flight ticket and turn their trip into a money-making opportunity” says Hussein El-Terawy, CEO and co-founder of Hitchhiker. 

Hitchhiker’s service benefits inbound travelers who visit Egypt by monetizing their unused luggage space. Utilising surplus baggage space is an innovative concept that makes the prospect of international trips more accessible for cost-burdened globetrotters. "In addition to our partnership with Travelstart, we are exploring opportunities with third parties including travel insurance and flight delay management. We want to offer our community a comprehensive and frictionless travel experience that can be managed within the Hitchhiker application,” adds El-Terawy.

Founded in 2017 by telecom engineer and frequent traveler Hussein El-Terawy, Hitchhiker is a social platform that connects shoppers who want to buy goods from all over the world with travelers who can deliver purchases at a much lower cost than commercial fulfilment providers. Today, Hitchhiker has more than 300,000 registered shoppers and travelers. Every month, travelers from more than 20 destinations sign up for the service. Over the past 15 months travelers earned more than $1,000,000 in rewards from delivering shoppers’ orders through the Hitchhiker platform.