Meet Food Trip Go, Winner of Startups of The Year 2024 in Lugano, Ticino, Switzerland | HackerNoon

The special Startups of The Year 2024 Winners Interview series is a celebration of all this year’s Tech Champions. You’ve earned it! The HackerNoon community can’t wait to learn more about your journey!

Tell us about you.

At Food Trip Go, we design experiences that blend travel and taste into one unforgettable journey. We are a marketing and experience design company that collaborates with food & travel businesses — from wineries to trekking guides, from cooking classes to boat tours — to craft and promote authentic, place-driven adventures. Our mission is simple: to connect people to the soul of a place through what they eat, where they go, and who they meet. We envision a world where travel is not just about ticking destinations off a list, but about building stories — one bite, one trail, one encounter at a time. Alongside our marketing and partnership work, we also offer tailor-made travel planning services for curious travelers who want to discover a destination through genuine local experiences, far from mass tourism and cliché itineraries. Driven by a deep respect for territory, tradition, and taste, Food Trip Go helps transform local know-how into meaningful experiences that speak to modern travelers.

Tell us how your startup is changing the world.

Food Trip Go is transforming the way people travel and experience culture by uniting creative marketing with bespoke journey design**.** As both a strategic partner to food & travel businesses and a bespoke travel planner, we operate on two complementary fronts:

• Strategic marketing & storytelling: We amplify the voices of small producers, guides, artisans and venues—wineries, cooking schools, trekking operators, boat services—by crafting tailored content, managing social-media campaigns and building meaningful online communities (like our “Sapori in Viaggio” Facebook group). This gives our partners visibility far beyond traditional channels and helps them attract high-value travelers who seek genuine encounters.
• Tailor-made travel planning: We design end-to-end culinary and cultural itineraries that reflect each destination’s character. From transparent budgeting and route maps to locally sourced accommodations and insider-only experiences, our custom trips immerse travelers in authentic traditions—whether that’s a kitchen-table cooking lesson with a regional chef or a private tasting at a boutique vineyard.

Our ultimate goals are to:

• Empower local economies by channeling visitor spend directly to micro-businesses, creating sustainable revenue streams and reducing reliance on mass-market tourism.
• Preserve cultural heritage through living experiences that celebrate local recipes, techniques and stories, ensuring traditions are passed on rather than commodified.
• Champion responsible tourism by designing low-impact, off-peak itineraries and educating travelers on ethical practices, from waste reduction to respect for local customs.
• Build a global network of authentic experiences—a vibrant tapestry of micro-adventures that travelers can discover and that local hosts can scale—so that every journey we craft becomes a force for good.

By weaving together digital innovation, deep local knowledge and human connection, Food Trip Go is redefining tourism as a catalyst for positive change—one tailor-made experience at a time.

What sets you apart from the competition?

What makes Food Trip Go truly unique is our seamless fusion of strategic marketing and bespoke travel design.

• Dual Expertise: We combine the precision of a creative marketing agency with the craftsmanship of a tailor-made trip designer. This integrated model ensures our partners gain powerful visibility and travelers receive deeply personalized, off-the-beaten-path experiences—all from a single team.
• Strategic Marketing Approach: We employ data-driven campaigns, targeted social-media strategies, and engaging content marketing—ranging from blog storytelling to influencer partnerships—to amplify our partners’ reach, attract the right audience, and build lasting brand equity.
• Micro-Provider Focus: We shine a spotlight on small vineyards, family farms, artisan producers, and local guides. By elevating their stories and directing visitor spend straight to them, we nurture sustainable growth in communities often overlooked by large-scale operators.
• Tailor-Made Precision: Every journey is co-created with clients and travelers. We begin by listening to your dreams, tastes, and curiosities, then meticulously design each itinerary—with transparent budgeting and hands-on logistics—to deliver meaningful, immersive encounters.
• Vibrant Community & Collaboration: From our “Sapori in Viaggio” Facebook and Instagram groups to strategic partnerships with importers, restaurants, and regional boards, we’ve built an ecosystem that amplifies local expertise and fosters genuine connections among food enthusiasts, travelers, and hosts.
• Values-Driven Innovation: Guided by principles of cultural preservation, economic resilience, and environmental stewardship, we champion low-impact travel routes, support off-peak seasons, and ensure every experience uplifts both people and place.

Food Trip Go isn’t just another agency or tour operator—it’s a purpose-driven platform where authentic narratives, local know-how, and tailor-made adventures converge to create lasting impact for communities and curious travelers alike.

What does it mean for you to win this title?

Winning the title of Startup of the Year 2024 in Lugano, Ticino is both an honor and a profound validation of our vision**.** For us at Food Trip Go, this recognition by HackerNoon is more than an award badge—it’s a celebration of every story we’ve helped tell, every small producer we’ve championed, and every traveler whose journey we’ve transformed. It’s a testament to the passion and dedication of our entire team, who tirelessly craft narratives, design bespoke itineraries, and nurture genuine connections between people and place. This accolade also affirms the trust our partners and community have placed in us. It reminds us that our mission—to showcase authentic, locally driven experiences and to foster sustainable tourism—resonates beyond borders and trends.

Above all, winning this title fuels our ambition for what’s next. We feel energized to deepen our collaborations, to innovate our services, and to expand our network of micro-experiences. It’s a milestone that sparks fresh momentum as we continue turning local know-how into meaningful, world-changing adventures—one tailor-made journey at a time.

What do you love about your team, and why are you the ones to set out for this mission?

At the heart of Food Trip Go is a diverse, passionate team united by one conviction: travel and taste can change lives.

Our collective brings together:

• Storytellers and content creators who craft evocative narratives that capture the essence of each locale.
• Strategic marketers adept at data-driven campaigns, influencer partnerships, and social-media engagement to amplify authentic voices.
• Experienced travel designers who obsess over every itinerary detail—from seamless logistics to hand-picked local encounters.
• On-the-ground scouts and cultural liaisons who maintain deep ties with artisans, chefs, and community leaders.

What binds us isn’t just complementary skills, but a shared curiosity and respect for every place we explore. We foster innovation through:

• Open ideation sessions (both virtual and offsite), where any team member can pitch new concepts or guerrilla-style experiences.
• “Local immersion” grants, allowing each team member to spend time living with a host community—gathering stories, tasting recipes, testing itineraries—and then reporting back to spark fresh offerings.
• Cross-team innovation sprints, where marketing, travel design, and scouting unite to prototype new concepts—be it pop-up dining routes in hidden neighborhoods or short-form documentary teasers that bring destinations to life.

We’re the right team for this mission because we live it every day. Our backgrounds span international development, hospitality, digital marketing, and journalism—but it’s our shared enthusiasm for real, human-centered exploration that drives us. Together, we turn local know-how into impactful journeys that empower communities, preserve traditions, and create lifelong memories for travelers worldwide.

Looking back, what milestone was the biggest turning point for your startup?

The real turning point for Food Trip Go wasn’t a single launch or feature—it was the heartfelt appreciation we began receiving from both our custom-travel clients and our local partners. From the moment travelers returned from their tailor-made itineraries, they shared stories of profound connection and discovery. At the same time, our partners—boutique wineries, artisan producers, and regional guides—expressed deep gratitude as our targeted marketing campaigns brought them new audiences and direct bookings. That outpouring of love and thanks taught us three invaluable lessons:

• Authentic impact drives loyalty: When travelers feel uniquely seen and partners feel meaningfully supported, they become our strongest advocates—spreading the word far more powerfully than any ad.
• Dual-value proposition: Succeeding as both a bespoke trip designer and a strategic marketing ally creates a virtuous cycle: extraordinary experiences fuel compelling stories, and those stories fuel even more business for our partners.
• Community-informed evolution: Every message of gratitude carried feedback—on itinerary pacing, storytelling angles, or campaign creatives—that we wove back into our services. This ongoing dialogue keeps us sharply aligned with real needs on both sides of the table.

In essence, it was the collective passion and gratitude of our community—travelers and partners alike—that showed us we had found product-market fit. It transformed Food Trip Go from an idea into a purpose-driven movement, proving that when you uplift both guest and host, you change the world together.

What’s one valuable lesson you learned this year that you’d pass on to other startups?

One lesson 2024 taught us is this: never underestimate the power of listening. Early on, we thought our tailor-made itineraries and marketing campaigns spoke for themselves—but it was the candid feedback from travelers and partners that truly sharpened our offering. When a small producer told us a social post felt “too polished,” we learned to let their authentic voice lead our storytelling.

When a guest suggested a hidden-hike detour, we discovered how a simple tweak turned an itinerary into an unforgettable journey. That habit of active listening—and then acting fast on what we heard—became our secret sauce. It helped us deepen relationships, iterate services in real time, and build genuine trust on both sides of the table.

Looking ahead to 2025, we’re excited to:

• Scale our network of micro-experiences, connecting more artisans, wineries, and guides with curious travelers eager for off-beat discoveries.
• Unveil our digital marketplace, where local partners can showcase their offerings directly and travelers can browse, customize, and book in a few clicks.
• Expand our “Sapori in Viaggio” community into new regions and languages, turning social engagement into real-world adventures and collaborations.
• Double down on sustainability, designing itineraries that support off-peak seasons, low-impact routes, and eco-friendly stays—so every journey benefits both people and planet.

By carrying forward the lesson of listening—and pairing it with purposeful growth—we’re ready to make 2025 even more transformative for our partners, travelers, and the places we explore together.

How do you envision your industry evolving in the coming years, and how will your startup stay ahead?

We believe the next wave of travel and culinary tourism will be defined by hyper-personalization, sustainable immersion, and seamless digital integration—trends that are already taking shape in regions like Ticino and beyond.

• Hyper-Personalization at Scale: Travelers are moving away from one-size-fits-all packages and seeking journeys crafted around their unique interests. We anticipate demand for dynamic, data-driven recommendation engines that curate experiences in real time. To stay ahead, Food Trip Go is building a digital marketplace with AI-powered matching, allowing guests to tailor every detail—dietary preferences, activity pacing, storytelling angles—while preserving the human touch in final design and delivery.
• Sustainability as Standard: Regulations and consumer values are increasingly pushing the industry toward environmental stewardship and community benefit. In Switzerland’s mountain valleys, for example, local boards are incentivizing off-peak tourism to reduce overtourism in summer months. We’re already piloting low-impact seasonal itineraries. By 2026, we aim for every itinerary we craft to carry an explicit “green impact score,” helping travelers make informed choices and rewarding eco-responsible partners.
• Community-Powered Growth: Online communities like our “Sapori in Viaggio” group are becoming incubators for co-creation, where travelers and hosts propose new experiences together. We foresee a shift toward community-curated offerings, where highly engaged members can vote on or even co-design pop-up routes and limited-edition adventures. To harness this, we’re integrating community feedback loops into our platform, offering early-access trials and revenue-share opportunities for top contributors.

By aligning our services with these evolving trends—blending advanced personalization, rigorous sustainability standards, cutting-edge tech, and genuine community collaboration—Food Trip Go will not only adapt to the future of travel but help define it, ensuring that every journey we craft remains at the forefront of innovation and impact.

How do you or your company intend to embrace the responsibility of this title in 2025?

Being named Startup of the Year 2024 by HackerNoon carries both honor and responsibility—one we intend to leverage throughout 2025 to drive positive change across our industry.

• Elevating Standards of Authenticity: We will publish a series of best-practice guides—co-created with our “Sapori in Viaggio” community and partner experts—detailing how to design genuinely immersive, locally rooted itineraries and ethical marketing campaigns. These resources will be shared freely via blog posts, webinars, and at regional tourism forums, setting a new benchmark for authenticity and respect in culinary and cultural travel.
• Amplifying Underrepresented Voices: In 2025, we’ll launch a “Hidden Gems Fellowship,” offering pro bono marketing and trip-design support to overlooked micro-providers—artisan cheesemakers, mountain shepherds, family-run guesthouses and more—who lack the channels or expertise to reach global audiences. By spotlighting these unsung heroes, we’ll use our title to broaden the narrative of what “food travel” can be.
• Mentorship & Knowledge-Sharing: As winners, we’ll host quarterly roundtables—both virtual and in-person—open to fellow early-stage startups in food, travel, and tech. Through these sessions, we’ll share insights on product-market fit, community-driven growth, and sustainable business models, fostering a spirit of collaboration rather than competition.
• Championing Sustainable Innovation: We’ll partner with regional authorities to pilot a “Green Impact Score” for travel itineraries, using the reach that comes with our HackerNoon title to advocate for its adoption industry-wide. This initiative will transparently measure environmental and social benefits, encouraging other operators to follow suit.
• Expanding Our Community Platform: Leveraging increased visibility, we’ll grow “Sapori in Viaggio” into a multilingual hub—to facilitate cross-border exchange of ideas, itineraries, and partner opportunities. This broader community will help set a new standard for how passionate travelers and hosts co-create meaningful experiences.

By harnessing the credibility and network unlocked by our Startup of the Year award, Food Trip Go will not only accelerate our own growth but also uplift the entire ecosystem—driving authenticity, inclusivity, and sustainability as cornerstones of the next wave of culinary and cultural tourism.

What goals are you looking forward to accomplishing in 2025?

Looking ahead to 2025, here are the milestones we’re poised to achieve**:**

• Scale the “Hidden Gems Fellowship”: Support at least twenty underrepresented micro-providers with pro bono marketing and itinerary design, helping them access new markets and telling their stories to a global audience.
• Publish the Authenticity Playbook: Release a freely available best-practice guide (plus companion webinars) on crafting ethical, immersive travel experiences and marketing campaigns—positioning Food Trip Go as an industry thought leader.
• Expand “Sapori in Viaggio” Internationally: Grow our flagship community into multilingual channels, reaching ten thousand engaged members who co-create and champion local experiences.
• Form Five Strategic Alliances: Partner with leading tourism entities, regional development agencies, and tech innovators to co-develop new offerings—such as enhanced travel itineraries and off-peak, low-impact adventure series.
• Double Our Custom-Trip Volume: Leverage our enhanced digital tools and marketing reach to design twice as many tailor-made itineraries as in 2024, deepening traveler satisfaction and partner revenue.

By hitting these goals, Food Trip Go will solidify its role as a pioneering force in responsible, community-driven travel—delivering ever-richer experiences for explorers and ever-stronger support for the local custodians of culture and cuisine.

2024 has been crazy, with all the new techs, and all the geopolitics fluctuations. What are the impacts of these to your startup, and to your industry as a whole? Be as brief or as detailed as you like.

The whirlwind of 2024—marked by rapid tech breakthroughs and shifting geopolitical winds—has tested and sharpened Food Trip Go in equal measure.

• Embracing emerging tech: We’ve integrated AI-powered recommendation engines into our planning workflow, enabling us to sift through hundreds of local providers and craft hyper-personalized itineraries in minutes and data analytics let us track traveler sentiment in real time and pivot services on the fly.
• Navigating geopolitical shifts: Currency fluctuations and evolving travel restrictions prompted us to build greater flexibility into our pricing and cancellation policies—so that clients booking across borders feel secure, even amid uncertainty. We also doubled down on domestic and “near-home” experiences for European travelers, creating resilient revenue streams when long-haul demand softened.
• Industry-wide evolution: Across culinary tourism, sustainability and tech have merged into a new baseline: travelers expect low-impact journeys backed by transparent impact metrics, and they demand digital convenience without losing human connection. By leaning into these trends, we’re not just surviving 2024’s turbulence: we’re helping shape a more agile, responsible future for the entire industry.

We would love your feedback on HackerNoon as a tech publication! How has your experience been with us?

HackerNoon stands out as a rare platform that combines reach, relevance, and real storytelling. As a startup operating at the intersection of travel, food, and technology, we often find ourselves navigating outside the traditional tech media bubble. HackerNoon welcomed us in with openness, clarity, and enthusiasm—offering visibility not just as a business, but as a voice with purpose. The Startup of the Year initiative has been a game-changer: well-organized, community-driven, and refreshingly human in its tone. It offered us a platform to connect with new audiences, gain validation in an international arena, and articulate our mission in a way that felt both authentic and high-impact.

From the voting process to the winner announcement to this interview, your team has made every step feel personal and professionally handled. We especially appreciate the space you give to companies with non-traditional tech profiles—because innovation, after all, doesn’t only happen in code. Thank you for amplifying voices like ours. You’ve gained not just a reader, but a proud supporter.

Any words of wisdom you’d like to share with us?

Celebrate the weird, the local, and the unfinished. In a world rushing toward automation and optimization, don’t forget the beauty of what’s still handmade, halfway there, or hidden in plain sight. Some of the most meaningful innovation happens not in boardrooms or labs, but in mountain huts, back kitchens, and slow conversations over a good glass of wine. Keep telling those stories. And never underestimate the power of curiosity paired with kindness—both online and off.