Traveling… there is a lot hidden in this word. After all, everyone likes to travel, and in order to make a trip the most pleasant event, one needs to plan it thoroughly, without missing important points.
Some people prefer to delegate the preparation process to the travel agents; nevertheless, many smartphone and tablet users are happy to organize every step of it on their own, since convenient mobile apps for travelers can simplify and improve any journey and complete it with better impressions.
Moreover, there’re also mobile applications for travel agencies: programs able to become loyal assistants to tour operators. However, let's discuss the issue in order!
Travel-management software solutions
Tour apps are useful not only to independent travelers: booking with a travel agency can also be made easier with mobile services with their real-time trip information and a lot of other cool features. And it means the tourism business will benefit by deciding to create its own application.
Benefits of mobile solutions for travel businesses:
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simplification of work. Mobile applications for tour operators simplify the work of your employees. So, they’ll fulfill their duties faster and more efficiently.
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less staff. Among others, you'll be able to manage with fewer staff, which implies cost savings.
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effective promotion platform. The app for tour operators helps you promote your agency: say, with the help of notifications and other useful features.
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loyalty programs. Permanent access to personal user data and advanced analytical tools allow composing individual offers and sending them to your customers.
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an additional source of monetization. Why not? One more resource of earnings never hurts!
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modern trend. Technologies are developing, and your business is developing with them. Your company has become modern. That’s good too!
What matters to travel customers
The best travel apps for iOS and Android are in the top of popularity because they pay attention to the following factors (and you should be in their track, we mean - do the same!):
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Intuitive UI/UX. The thoughtful app design is the first step on the path to its success with users. You must ensure maximum intuitiveness of the interface of your program, make it user-friendly.
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advanced functionality. You should offer the user the maximum of possibilities to simplify his trip: assistance in packing, a GPS guide, booking features, etc.
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high speed of application. Of course, mobile solutions for travel businesses should work quickly and efficiently. It depends a lot on the developers, therefore, be sure you've hired a team of real professionals.
Do you want to learn more about creating successful travel apps? Read our article!
Types of tourism applications
Let’s list the main types of travel apps.
#1. Mobile applications to choose and buy airline tickets
Using such apps allows a user to select or create an ideal route, buy or book airplane tickets, choose the best seat aboard, and monitor the plane’s location from the mobile device.
Among the best flight-tracking apps, there are Hopper and Skyscanner.
#2. Accommodations booking
Of course, the primary task of these apps is to improve the process of booking a hotel, finding a hostel or a room to sleep, etc.
However, mobile application development would be useful not only in trying to find a hotel in any city; it’ll also simplify comparing prices from the leading booking systems, which, in turn, will help the user to make the most beneficial choice.
Market leaders include Airbnb and Booking.com.
Do you want to order hotel app development? That way!
#3. Guides and maps
Mobile apps for tourists contain information about sightseeing, shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, and many other interesting places in the city that you decide to visit.
In addition, such a real-time GPS travel locator helps users navigate the area without any problems, which is especially important when you are in an unfamiliar country.
The most popular apps with real-time routes are, of course, Google Maps and Citymapper.
#4. Travel Planning Apps
These apps can also be great helpers when preparing to go off on a journey. They are helping:
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make a list of things you should take with you on the road;
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think of places to visit at your destination beforehand;
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take care of all possible routes in advance;
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and so on. There’re a great many helpful tips you can get.
Best examples of this kind of travel applications: Triplt, Packpoint.
#5. Entertainment Planning Apps
Even if your trip is business in nature, you're likely to want to make time to see the most important sights. And applications with real-time trip information are the best way to find out what exactly is worth visiting in a particular country.
Among travel apps of the sort are Yelp and TripAdvisor.
Services, hidden inside travel technology
Most travel applications offer quite ordinary functionality, but sometimes the owners of these programs come up with the idea of truly unique features that make the app special and remarkable.
So, let's look at the mobile application development and see in what way it can be useful to a traveler (besides the obvious benefits):
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Visa processing: mobile applications, created in order to prepare documents for visa processing, contain all the necessary information about consulates, visa application centers, and everything you need to know before submitting the documents. Such applications provide users with a list of countries and documentation packages aimed at any type of visa.
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Communication apps: apps focused on communicating with people would be useful not only in your everyday life, but they’re also able to become important during the trip, as they’ll help you to translate any phrase to the local language from your native tongue.
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Mobile apps that will introduce the local cuisine of your destination: these products will become essential when picking a restaurant with national or regional food, special design, and atmosphere. Besides that, there are feedbacks, comments, and photos from other users in such apps.
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Mobile banking: mobile banking applications will assist you with a set of financial questions and point you towards the nearest ATM or local branch of a twinning bank.
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Other interesting features; good examples: smoke detector, door lock, online travel dashboard, urgent phone numbers. It all depends on your imagination and the skills of the developers you found.
How we create mobile apps for travel businesses
Now it’s time to briefly describe how we create travel apps able to attract and retain as many users as possible in order to monetize the audience and strengthen business positions.
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business expertise, including market research and competitor analysis, as well as strategy development;
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creating a portrait of the target audience. We identify the needs of your average user to find out what exactly he's interested in. What features should your app offer? Making real-time routes? Booking? What else?
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positioning and naming. Based on the results of the previous stages, we formulate the key idea of your service (positioning) and, of course, give it a name.
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app design and operation logic. Our experts are working on how the app is going to look, and how it’ll work, on what principle.
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writing code. This means the process of developing iOS and/or Android applications.
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testing, the purpose of which is to ensure the application is working as it should.
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product publication and support, the last equally important stage of development.
Conclusion
If you’re a tourist, we hope now you feel more confident and relaxed while traveling, having your mobile device within reach and equipped with up-to-date development products!
And if you're the owner of a travel company, then we're sure we made you think of increasing your business efficiency with a top-quality app for tour operators. And we're happy to help!
Contact if you’re ready to cooperate.
Faithfully, Agilie team.
