Hanaley, the digital travel agency based in Barcelona, is revolutionising the way travellers plan their dream vacations.
Founded in early 2020 by Carla Tarrés Juncadella, this startup has achieved impressive growth, with a 70% increase in revenue in 2023 and ambitious plans for international expansion. Additionally, one of the company’s major milestones is achieving a 25% repeat customer rate.
We spoke with Carla Tarrés, CEO and Co-founder of Hanaley, to learn more about the secrets behind the success of her company, its challenges, and future plans.
Question: Hanaley has experienced rapid growth. What do you consider to be the main factors contributing to this success?
Answer: Hanaley was born in the midst of the pandemic. For many, this was a problem, but for us, it was an opportunity. We managed to seize the moment. While other agencies were dealing with cancellations and refunds—a very complicated situation that would be detrimental to us now—we had the chance to recruit highly skilled profiles from the travel sector, who continue to be key players in the company today. We entered the market with very low acquisition costs and started collaborating with high-quality suppliers in various destinations around the world. All of these were opportunities.
Technology has also been crucial to our growth, as it has allowed us to be much more efficient and scale the business more quickly. To this day, we remain obsessed with optimising processes, and technology will always be a part of Hanaley.
This enables us to offer impeccable service combined with the ‘simplicity’ of booking a product online, precisely what today’s consumer needs.
Q: You specialise in personalised travel. What is the process of creating a tailor-made itinerary for a client?
A: Yes, that is precisely our strength. The trend in travel is increasingly leaning towards personalisation. Clients want to experience unique moments tailored to their tastes and requirements, and not necessarily share them with others. They want to feel special.
That’s why we have a broad range of products from all the destinations we sell, directly offered by local providers to avoid intermediaries. It is crucial to know exactly who we are buying from, as they will be part of the ‘Hanaley experience’ during the clients’ trips.
The process starts with completing a custom form on our website, which collects all the necessary information to understand the type of client we have and the kind of trip they want to take. This information is automatically entered into our CRM, undergoes a qualification/scoring process, and then a tailor-made travel itinerary is prepared, always in the hands of a specialised travel agent. All processes are conducted using technology to minimise qualification, preparation, and delivery times, ensuring a smooth and excellent user experience.
Q: What types of clients does Hanaley cater to?
A: This is what makes us unique. We cater to all types of clients and experiences, provided there is a minimum budget that allows us to maintain the basic quality standards we uphold at Hanaley. Among our clients, we have 60% couples, 35% families, and 5% others (solo travellers or groups of friends); and we adapt 100% to their needs. They are demanding clients seeking that level of travel personalisation; they don’t want a pre-made package but rather for us to tailor the experience to their requirements so they can enjoy the trip of their dreams.
Q: Recently, you have started a pilot test in Mexico and plan to expand into other international markets. What are the major challenges and opportunities you see in this expansion?
A: Indeed, we are currently in the pilot phase. We see a significant opportunity in the type of service we provide. Being 100% online and digital, we do not face the entry barriers that other companies might encounter. We can handle everything from here, accommodating time differences or various languages if needed.
As for challenges, we are very aware that we must deliver excellence in service from the very beginning, as due to high competition, we believe that clients do not offer second chances. The major challenge is getting it right initially with all the requests from new markets and starting to be on the consumer’s radar in international countries, just as we are in Spain.
Q: Hanaley is preparing its first funding round for the end of this year. How do you plan to use the raised funds and what are you looking for in future investors?
A: Hanaley has made it this far without external funding, closing 2023 with over €4 million in revenue. Given that 90% of companies in Spain do not survive beyond three years, this is quite an achievement for us! It is the result of hard work and perseverance; nothing comes for free 😉
This has kept us grounded at all times: investing in marketing, staff, or technology while always considering the profitability of every euro invested.
Although we are aware that continuing to accelerate at this pace, venturing into new markets, and taking certain risks with capital is very challenging. Therefore, we do not rule out the possibility of bringing in strategic investors in the medium term, to accelerate the company now that we have identified our growth levers and have clear plans for investment: technology, marketing, and qualified personnel.
We are therefore looking for strategic partners, smart money. ‘Money’ on its own can be found elsewhere: banking, public funding… we already have that. And it is just as good. Therefore, we seek investors who can provide an added value to the company, offering vision, strategy, and expertise based on their experience in the sector and/or similar companies.
Q: We know that you collaborate with SHA Wellness Clinic. Could you tell us more about this collaboration and how it fits into your offering?
A: SHA Wellness Clinic is something very exclusive and has much in common with Hanaley. From the moment we became aware of the clinic, we did not hesitate to offer these services to our clients.
At Hanaley, we have an increasingly extensive database, including many clients seeking wellness, care, and healthy results in the short term… This aligns perfectly with what SHA Wellness Clinic offers.
The collaboration involves offering SHA Wellness Clinic’s services through Hanaley, giving our clients the opportunity to enjoy their treatments and facilities. It’s a win-win: we offer a top-quality product to our clients, and SHA Wellness Clinic gains new visitors thanks to Hanaley.
