Creating a Global Travel Network: A Conversation With Zak Longo
Zak Longo is a Canadian-born entrepreneur and investor based in Miami, Florida. He is known for creating and scaling digital-first brands in media, travel, and consumer products. He is the CEO and Co-Founder of Travly, one of the largest travel networks on social media, generating billions of impressions each year. His work focuses on connecting content, community, and commerce to transform how people find and book travel experiences.
Q: Travly has become a major travel network online. What was the original idea behind it?
Zak Longo: When I co-founded Travly, the idea behind it was to change how people find travel in a digital-first world. Traditional platforms rely heavily on search, which assumes users already know where they want to go, but that’s not how most travel choices are made. Many people start with inspiration, usually while scrolling through social media, and that insight formed our approach from day one. We wanted to create a platform that could meet users in that moment and offer eye-catching, high-quality travel content that encourages ideas. Eventually, that vision grew into creating a full ecosystem where inspiration could lead directly to action. Travly became a bridge between dreaming about travel and actually booking it.
Q: Travly reaches billions of impressions each year. What drove that level of growth?
Zak Longo: Growth at that scale came from a knowledge of audience behaviour and a commitment to consistency. We focused on creating emotionally resonant, useful content, which helped build trust with our audience over time. We make sure each piece of content is engaging and shareable, naturally driving traffic on all platforms. We also invested heavily in distribution, ensuring our content was featured where users already spend their time rather than expecting them to come to us. Another factor was staying agile and adapting quickly to platform trends and algorithm changes. That combination helped us scale while keeping content relevant and engaging.
Q: How does Travly connect travel inspiration with the booking experience?
Zak Longo: We start by capturing attention with compelling travel content that introduces destinations in an immersive, inspiring way. Once a user is interested, we make it easy for them to move from inspiration to planning without friction. The booking process should feel like a natural extension of the content experience, not a separate step. By integrating these elements, we reduce the disconnect that exists between finding a place and figuring out how to get there. This method makes the experience more intuitive for the user and adds real value beyond content consumption.
Q: What makes Travly different from other travel sites?
Zak Longo: Travly is different because it’s built around the audience and content first, instead of simply transactions. Many traditional platforms focus on listings and price comparisons, which serve a purpose but lack inspiration. We flip that model by starting with what grabs attention and creates engagement. By building a large, loyal audience, we learn what people are interested in before they even start looking. This helps us deliver more personalized and relevant recommendations.
Q: Where do you see Travly going next?
Zak Longo: The future of Travly is focused on strengthening the connection between content and commerce. There is still a significant opportunity to improve how people move from inspiration to booking, and we want to lead that evolution. We are exploring ways to make the experience more personalized so users feel the platform understands their preferences. Expanding globally is also a major priority, both for audience growth and for partnerships. At the same time, we are focused on improving the product to make it more seamless and intuitive. The goal is to keep pushing forward while staying true to the core idea that travel discovery should feel engaging and effortless.
