Since The Sigmund Project’s launch in June 2021, it has seen surprising growth receiving over 18,000 unique visitors to the site from over 108 countries.
Developed by travel and tourism industry expert Alan Elliott Merschen, The Sigmund Project is a not-for-profit online platform, open to anyone who has a great idea to advance the global tourism industry; from small entrepreneurs to large multinational companies, from accommodation providers to the transportation sector, from universities to startups.
“The early success of Sigmund is directly correlated to the tourism industry’s appetite for more innovation, more collaboration, and more resources. Seeing the numbers increased our enthusiasm. Our research directed us to build something completely open-source, truly free, and exceptionally useful to entrepreneurs in the travel space. We have a long road ahead of us, but right now it’s important to acknowledge what the team and our members have been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time.”
As 2022 begins, Sigmund is seeing:
- Close to 20,000 unique visitors to the site
- More than 5,000 members to join The Sigmund Collective
- Over 100 ideas submitted on OPEN · SOURCE
Visitors from Nepal to Nairobi have submitted their ideas for transforming the tourism industry, 78 which are currently featured on Sigmund’s OPEN · SOURCE platform. These ideas range from:
- Zeppelin tours across Australia
- A safety tips aggregator app for solo travelers
- Rural robotics programs carried in tourist suitcases
- A Kennedy-esque space center in Kazakhstan
- Facial recognition software to protect indigenous likeness on the internet
- A program to bring a more diverse pipeline of professionals into the tourism industry.
While Sigmund is based in the US, the interest has always been international. According to Merschen, “From the start, I knew for us to succeed we had to think outside and beyond borders. At year-end, one of the most important stats for us is that only 15 per cent of our web traffic is from the United States.”
—all in its first six months. The question is now: What does 2022 hold for Sigmund?
“2022 will be a big year for us as we plan to launch a uniquely structured support program for entrepreneurs. We will also increase our resource offerings to our collective. University partnerships will also continue to deepen and grow. We continue to keep looking forward,” said Merschen.
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