Who are the two Romanians selected for the World Travel Hackers 2025 adventure?
Bucharest, July 2. The third edition of the World Travel Hackers competition, organized by Kiwi.com, a leader in travel-tech, sparked the interest of travelers worldwide: nearly 16,000 people from 163 countries signed up for the chance to explore the world for four weeks, complete missions, and keep the savings left from a €10,000 budget. Romania ranked in the top three by number of entries, just after Poland and Spain, highlighting Romanians’ growing appetite for adventure.
Europeans dominate the competition, representing over 86% of applicants, with Romanians remaining among the top contenders, with over 1,200 entries and third place globally. The average age of all participants is 29.7 years, though the oldest applicant is 77 years old and comes from Rhode Island.
Most teams are formed by couples, whether married, in a relationship, or close friends, but there are also many remarkable stories. Among them: a doctor from Romania who left her medical career to explore the world, a German filmmaker planning to travel the world with his grandmother, and even parent-child duos or friends in search of new adventures. The diversity of stories matches the diversity of destinations.
World Travel Hackers is a competition open to everyone, not just established content creators. In fact, over 83% of entrants have fewer than 10,000 Instagram followers, and about 10% are micro-influencers, proving that passion for travel matters more than follower count.
To participate, applicants had to sign up on the Kiwi.com Flight Crew platform, post two eligible social media entries, and submit them before the June 22 deadline. All eligible participants receive €50 flight vouchers for each video posted, and even if they weren’t selected as World Travel Hackers, they still receive €100 for flight tickets. The seven most creative duos were selected on July 1 for the World Travel Hackers adventure.
From the thousands of people who entered the Kiwi.com competition, one of the duos selected for the global adventure is formed by Nora and Julia, two Romanian women bound by their shared love for travel and adventure. Their energy, curiosity, and desire to step out of their comfort zone made them stand out among the over 1,200 other Romanian applicants—and from the rest of the global participants.
This year, for the first time, candidates were asked to truly plan a round-the-world route, choosing whether to travel east or west, and ensuring they returned to their country of origin from the opposite direction. They also had to create two social media posts for their entry: one announcing their participation and asking followers for itinerary suggestions, and the second presenting the chosen route and introducing their travel partner.
As the winning duo, Nora and Julia will represent Romania in this year’s World Travel Hackers competition, alongside six other teams from around the world, in a four-week adventure filled with challenges, managing a €10,000 budget, and keeping whatever they manage to save in the end. Their friendship and enthusiasm for exploration promise to bring a unique perspective and many unforgettable moments to this round-the-world journey offered by Kiwi.com.
