Two Mooney seniors start travel website

By GRACE WYLER

gwyler@vindy.com

boardman

Two Cardinal Mooney High School seniors have launched a website they hope will bring the world to the Mahoning Valley.

MyValleyTravel.com, the brainchild of Luka Spahija of Boardman and Matthew Krivanek of Canfield, goes live today.

The Internet travel company will enable customers to research and book a variety of travel options, including flights, rental cars, hotels and cruises.

The pair decided to launch a business geared toward consumers in their hometown, Spahija said. After brainstorming different business ideas, Spahija and Krivanek, with the help of family members and other partners, decided to launch a travel company to tap into an industry that appears to be on the rise, he said.

“Travel has been picking up significantly in the past year or so,” Spahija said. “So we decided to go with a travel business.”

Although there are a wealth of online travel-booking options, there is nothing marketed specifically to Mahoning Valley travelers, Spahija said.

“There is already a lot of competition out there,” he said. “But we believe the people of the Valley will trust something with more of a local flavor.”

The pair believes Valley customers will be attracted to a site that offers locally based customer service, Spahija said. If customers need assistance with booking or have any problems with the site, they will be able to reach the site’s owners directly by e-mail or phone, he added.

The student-entrepreneurs both plan on attending college outside of the area next year — Spahija is enrolled in Indiana University, and Krivanek will attend Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland — but will continue to operate the site.

“We hope to someday expand regionally, and eventually expand nationally,” Spahija said.

The pair also has toyed with the idea of opening a “brick-and-mortar” travel agency in the Valley, he added.