Forget the Ex: A new travel app designed for the heartbroken

"The app was born following the belief that experiences and travel are the best way to deal with a broken heart," says the person who developed the unconventional idea. And he also has some winning tips on how to deal with the pain of parting. Currently, the app is for travelers in the Far East only

Hiking is the best way to deal with a broken heart. Breakup Tours app (Photo: official website)

Breakup Tours app (Photo: Breakup Tours, screenshot)

Just had a significant relationship with her and are you looking for a distraction? A new travel app may be just the thing you need.

Developed by a Hong Kong-based company, Breakup Tours offers a variety of experiences and services aimed at those who are dealing with a broken heart. And instead of researching users about preferred dates or accommodation preferences, the app builds your vacation preferences in accordance with unconventional preliminary questions. For example: "If the ex is calling now, will you answer?" Or "Is there anything else you would like to say to Ex?" And even: "Now imagine the moon. What shape do you think?"

Stephen Chong, co-founder of the company, told CNN in an interview that the app was born out of the belief that hiking is the best way to deal with a broken heart. "Separation and change are a difficult matter. When you stick to your daily routine, you pay close attention to everything you currently lack in the same routine. Trips allow you to break this cycle. They give you a new perspective," he says.

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"Registration form is the letter to Ex"

Prior to founding the company, Chong was a tour guide as such, he even initiated in 2018 special tours designed for the heartbroken. "After the first trip of this kind, we received very enthusiastic responses," he says. He said 650 participants had already registered for the second trip. "The enrollment form was basically a letter everyone wrote to Ex. So, we were exposed to crazy and heartbreaking stories."

At the time, Chang realized how much it was a market segment that was eager to get a response but didn't accept it. This is how the company that developed the app was born.

Of course, this is not the only company designed for individuals. In Japan, for example, there is a bar that serves drinks only to those who came alone. However, this is probably the first company to offer individual experiences and trips, with the aim of helping them overcome the crisis.

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The three steps on the road to recovery

"After talking to many people, we realized that there are three important steps to recovery: emotional release, experiencing something new and learning something new. All the activities we offer revolve around those three steps," Chang adds.

The app is offered in English and Chinese, and currently includes more than 100 attractions, activities and experiences in 10 cities in Taiwan, Japan, Thailand and Hong Kong.

Among the experiences you will find a three-hour temple tour following "Chinese Love Eli", pottery workshop and pottery repair in Tokyo, the Wabi-Sabi workshop (the Wabi-Sabi is a worldview that focuses on the concept of impermanence and acceptance of imperfection) and more. And if all of this is not exciting to you yet, try the "Real Gun Shooting Experience Workshop," held in Chang Mai, Northern Thailand. In any case, users are invited to scan the activities according to their geographical location or mood at that moment.

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First aid kit for a broken heart

In addition, each registered user receives a World SIM card and even a "First Aid Kit for a Broken Heart," which will be used for the upcoming trip. "Each kit is slightly different in its components, depending on the story we received from each customer," says Chang. But all kits include a writing assignment, designed with the help of a psychology professor, designed to deal with the pain of separation.
Also, the app has a function called "Circles of Travelers", which allows any user to search for users in a similar situation or those looking for similar experiences. However, the company says this is definitely not a matchmaking app. "We don't want to be matchmakers, because we don't think that after a breakup, a new relationship is needed immediately. Therefore, there is an option to turn off the social function, and do things entirely on your own."