We’re often told to “follow our dreams” and “do what we love”, but few of us ever find a way to realise these empty motivational phrases and make money. Until now.

Lately the Like A Local team has been working hard to build a platform where users can offer local experiences to savvy travellers. From hosting delicious dinners to teaching playful AcroYoga classes to offering offbeat city tours – this is your chance to do what you love and earn some extra cash… Or who knows, maybe even kick-start a new career!

To give you an idea of the possibilities, we’d like to introduce you to Tomáš, the charismatic founder of Prague Alternative Tours. This guy does what he loves, gets paid for it and has managed to avoid dreary office jobs from the get-go.

Early inspiration

Born in Prague just three years before the Velvet Revolution, Tomáš has always had a deep connection with his city. Growing up, he witnessed the monumental introduction of democracy after years of Soviet and Nazi occupation. His youth marked a period when, for the first time in their lives, the people around him were able to experience the true meaning of the word freedom. It was a period of new opportunities.

In his teens, Tomáš got into hip-hop and immediately fell in love with the lifestyle. A fascination with graffiti and street art ensued, paving the way for his future success. After the Revolution, his civil engineer/architect mother began working as a tour guide, so naturally he accumulated plenty of insider insights into the industry.

Offering something different

Tomáš dreamed of running his own tour company and began to consider what types of tours would tempt him when visiting a foreign city. It quickly became apparent that none of the tours available in Prague were of any interest to him as a creative young person. For him, travelling is about meeting locals, embracing local culture, seeing local art and living local life – a stark contrast to the ultra-touristic programmes of standard sightseeing tours.

Recognising this glaring gap in the market led to the birth of Prague Alternative Tours. Tomáš teamed up with an old pal and began whisking curious travellers to off-the-beaten-track neighbourhoods they’d otherwise never have discovered. Their tours cover everything from local history and politics to street art, underground subcultures and nightlife. As for the guides, they’re more like mates. That’s the beauty of it – they’re offering an authentic local experience void of pretence.

Get involved

If you see yourself in Tomáš’ story, please get in touch with any thoughts and ideas! Whether it’s teaching travellers how to make local specialities, hosting a friendly soccer match or hiking in the woods – we can help make it happen. We can’t wait to hear from you!