MyTripz, owned by Santa Monica-based Interactive Media Holdings, is another new entrant in the social travel space, helping you to share your trips with friends. It offers profile pages, commenting, networks of friends, photo galleries, blogging, groups and on-site messaging. The most unique feature is the ability to create trips, which are then plotted on a Google Map. You can also list places you've been to, your favorite restaurants and your dream destinations. Another noteworthy feature: you can rate and review restaurants and hostels. That's about the sum of it.
Perhaps I'm getting jaded by the massive number of similar social networking sites, but I don't really see the value that MyTripz creates beyond what's already available. The list of travel-based social networks is long: TripTie, TripHub, TripMates, Gusto.com and Travelhiker, to name a few. Some of these have a unique spin, while others are undifferentiated. Social networking for travel is certainly a good idea, and the business model is clear: selling flights and accommodation through affiliate partnerships. And to give them their due, their are a few unique offerings here: Travelistic's "YouTube for travel" is a neat idea, while TurnHere is also attempting to combine travel and video. But despite a few interesting efforts, I don't see all of these sites surviving.
In the case of MyTripz, the issue is that there aren't many travel-specific features: it's your typical social network with reviews and Google Maps bolted on. The only consolation is that the site is brand new, and they've got plenty of time to find a unique angle.
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