package tour experience
next level
“Holidays are for having a good, stress-free time. We want to lie down on a sunny, warm beach with no worries in our minds. A good digital customer experience should create this kind of valuable quality time, ever not consuming it.”
-PIITU, DESIGNER
introduction
Trips, in many ways, are yearly highlight moments for many people. The importance of trips speaks volumes to us - there are many personal habits and traditions involved around them. For many people, trips also play a major role in yearly financial cycle as typically a trip in another country involves saving a dedicated budget. These factors often mean there are also expectations and even frustrations living side by side with dreams. Together with Suntours Ltd (Aurinkomatkat Oy), we wanted to make the trip experience even better. This meant that we would use digital tools to enhance the package tour customer experience on level that it hasn’t yet been seen.
How to make package tour experience even better?
the challenges in travelling
the vision, approach & process
product concept creation
service & business co-design workshops
Workshops & numerous co-design sessions with Suntours (Aurinkomatkat) personnel were held along the process to create a common understanding what the service should be all about. The summary of the outcome were 3 different concept fundamentals that would serve as the cornerstones for the MVP product concept creation, and would form the backbone for the creative process far in the future.
the vision, approach & process
product concept fundamentals
EXCURSIONSDigital excursion availability
CUSTOMER VALUEExcursions can be bought at any time of the day no matter where you are. Excursions can be bought before the trip or during the trip.
COMMUNICATIONDigital on-spot customer service
CUSTOMER VALUEDestination guides can be reached anytime of the day no matter where you are.
DESTINATION INFOEnhanced trip experience via digital content and services
CUSTOMER VALUERelevant information such as hotel info, maps and local services are always at hand where ever you are.
the craftmanship
product ux concept
ux concept fundamentals
From the get-go, UX fundamentals were created solely based on iterated and documented customer experience and business models. In UX, everything was built around the concept fundamentals to fulfil the true needs of the customers and to match the business requirements. The result was a design hypothesis with four different key functionalities including trip calendar, excursion purchases, customer service chat, and a digital on-site travel guide. The prototype was tested in Phuket Thailand, with real customers and in real environment (hotel lobby).
trip calendar
Trip Calendar helps users to plan their trips beforehand, helping them to see the big picture e.g. which ‘must things’ are actual and how to organise them to be part of the personal trip schedule. It shows the important trips moments on a timeline such as flight information, booked excursions and things to see and to do.
THE GAINPlan your trip schedule & keep up with it. See the big picture.
digital excursion purchases
With self-service excursion purchases, users can save valuable trip time by doing their excursion purchases digitally where ever they happen to be, no matter is it day or night. Instructions are given how to participate to excursions, including pick-up times and locations.
THE GAINNo more physical buying. Save effort and trip time. Info & guidance.
chat with destination guides
Chat system makes contacting the destination guides easy on the spot as customer service is not limited to time and place anymore.
THE GAINCustomer service always at hand. Save effort & trip time.
digital on-site travel guide
The digital travel guide is a destination specific information bank showing all the important trip information on a map - restaurants, things to see & to do, shopping, beaches, nightlife, customer service, flight & airport info, customs and transportation. All these features are also work in offline mode.
THE GAINPocket sized digital travel guide (works also offline!)
the craftmanship
final product
multivendor team
The final product & implementation was done with a multivendor team model at Suntours (Aurinkomatkat) premises. The participants were Suntours (Aurinkomatkat), Nextage Design, CGI, Avarko and Qvik. Together with other participants, Nextage Design was part of further concept & UX design.
Suntours (Aurinkomatkat) app helps users to plan their trips beforehand, and works as a comprehensive travel guide at the destination. The app makes the on-spot communication easy with the destination guides – the communication is based on a chat system.
ServicesService Concept, Product Concept, UX DesignYear2016Linkwww.aurinkomatkat.fi