Former Gold Medal and Thomas Cook scheduled businesses boss Terry Fisher has launched a new company providing maps and apps to luxury hotels around the world.
Fisher, who is also chief executive of venture capitalist firm Fisher Europa, has unveiled Mapperarti, with the tagline “The Art of MAPPS”.
His new business, which has offices in London, Los Angeles and Dubai, offers luxury hotels high quality own-branded bespoke hard copy and digital maps of the local area for their concierge to hand out to guests.
They are free to the hotels and funded by advertising by producers of high-end luxury goods and brands, including local restaurants, shops and designer watches, handbags and fashion brands.
Fisher, who raised £400 million earlier this year to support a failed bid to buy Thomas Cook, told Travel Weekly: “I’ve stayed in some of the best hotels in the world and all they give you is a standard tourist map – one five-star property was handing out the Big Red Bus map which was so at odds with customers who have paid a lot of money to stay in the property. Luxury customers have much higher expectations.”
He said the Dorchester in London has a bespoke map to hand out and that he was given an opportunity to invest in the company that produces it.
“I decided not to invest but realised I could take the model to international markets,” explained Fisher.
“The beauty of this new venture is that I can use the hotel contacts I’ve built up over 30 years in the travel industry and the fact that I can still work with them and give something back to them is exciting and rewarding.”
Mapperarti already has 60 signed contracts globally with the likes of Jumeirah, Ritz Carlton, Hyatt, Hilton and individual properties including The MGM Grand Las Vegas and the Burj Al Arab and Atlantis the Palm in Dubai.
He is working with ex-British Airways, Jumeirah and Kerzner director Tricia Warwick in Dubai and another business partner in LA and has already employed three staff in California, six in Leeds, two in London and two in Dubai.