We believe travel tips
should have a price tag.

The problem is obvious.

Every creator with taste is giving it away for free. Instagram captions with “DM me for the address.” TikTok comments begging for the name of the restaurant. Google Docs shared in bio links that get scraped, reposted, and diluted until the spot is ruined.

Your knowledge has value. Your curation is a skill. The years you spent finding that hidden bar in Shibuya or the bakery in the 11th that doesn’t have a sign — that’s intellectual property. Treat it like one.

We’re not a travel app.

We don’t do hotel bookings. We don’t sell flights. We don’t have affiliate links or “sponsored picks.” We don’t aggregate reviews from strangers you’ll never meet.

hotspot is a tool for people with taste to monetize that taste. You create a map. You drop your pins. You set your price. Someone who trusts your judgment pays once, gets lifetime access. Done.

Curation over algorithms.

The internet is drowning in recommendations from people who have never been to the places they recommend. SEO-optimized listicles. AI-generated city guides. Influencers who got paid to stand in front of a restaurant they’ll never return to.

We believe the best travel advice comes from real humans with real opinions who actually spent their own money at the places they’re telling you about. That’s it. That’s the whole thesis.

For creators who are tired of free.

If you’ve ever typed “here’s my full itinerary” in a caption and watched it get 10,000 saves and zero dollars — this is for you. If your DMs are full of “where did you eat in Lisbon?” — this is for you.

Your audience already trusts you. Now let them pay you. Not with likes. Not with engagement. With money.

The rules are simple.

• No ads. Ever.
• No fake reviews. Every map is made by a real person.
• Creators set their own prices.
• Buyers get lifetime access. No subscriptions. No recurring fees.
• We take a small cut. You keep the rest.