The chaotic period that the tourism industry has overpassed during the past few years made us rethink our travelling habits and adapt to new ways of travel. The triumphant return of travel in 2022. has brought to light that the needs of travelers are moving in many different directions to adapt to changing times.
Tourism has never been more compatible with technical solutions than in the time behind us. Many challenges that appeared on the side of travellers or service providers were solved using IT technologies. Moreover, these solutions found long-term utilisation even after one of the biggest crises in the world of travel has ended.
Bringing ideas to life
Get to know Locastic – a software development agency that has successfully combined technological knowledge and entrepreneurial ideas into top innovations recognised in several global markets for more than ten years. During the past period, we delivered some of the most impressive products for our clients globally, which enriched our reputation and, ultimately – the trophy shelf.
After some time and gained experience, we devoted ourselves to analysing the local tourism market and solving problems, resulting in developing an in-house project called Litto.
Making an impact in the local market
In a small and highly heterogenous market where local stakeholders on the supply side still present their offer offline, we recognised the opportunity to upgrade customer access to a more sustainable model. Primarily, the local market is characterised by the saturation of various services that are poorly distributed—starting with accommodation services, which are mostly private family-owned facilities. In many situations, these stakeholders are not familiar with guests’ behaviour well enough, and the sale takes place spontaneously, without a plan. The same problem happens with numerous small agencies that offer additional tourist services such as excursions, transfers and other activities (un)typical for the destination’s identity.
At this point, we came to an idea to gather local stakeholders who provide high-quality services and create memorable experiences for their guests for the best available price at the market. As the first step, we developed the online platform Litto.co, which primarily offers accommodation and additional services in second place.
Even though the platform is developed and tested in the local market in Croatia, it has the full potential to expand internationally to other travel markets.
View to the future: Litto Planner
One of the most frequently mentioned travellers’ behaviour predictions for the future is being frugal while travelling. Not only is the meaning of budget but also considering the value of time in search for accurate information. Moreover, travellers appreciate hospitality and honest recommendation more than ever since the majority experienced some kind of scam or disappointment on the journey.
However, time plays a growing role in today’s era. In the context of travel organisation and customer behaviour, it is noticeable that the user wants to get specific and verified information about the destination in as little time as possible. In the context of travel organisation and customer behaviour, it is noticeable that the user wants to get specific and verified information about the destination in as little time as possible, which will simplify the choice of essential services and the creation of a further travel plan. This statement is confirmed by the fact that more than 70% of travellers pay attention to value for money. To organise a trip, a traveller visits an average of 35 internet sites for information about a specific destination.
Looking back a few years, we can recall the leading actors in the tourist market – the big tour operators. Their role was to gather partners who provide different tourist services, lease these services from them at a lower price and create tourist package arrangements for clients. The lack of flexibility and technological advances reduced tour operators’ dominance to a minimum.
Imagine having both accuracy and flexibility while organising a trip for the minimum time spent. Sounds ideal.
By implementing artificial intelligence algorithms, we managed to develop a system that creates a trip according to personal preferences for the user in just a few clicks. By entering primary data from the user, the system generates a personalised travel plan, including essential accommodation services and other tourist experiences.
In essence, Litto Planner is an upgrade of the existing functional pages for booking travel services on the previously mentioned Litto.co.
Although it is still under development, tests have shown that the functionality of the planner meets its primary purpose, which is to create a multi-day trip according to personal preferences and the available budget. We are sure that this model will find application in the future to the satisfaction of the growing number of travellers.
World Travel Market London is where travel and tourism companies can promote their products as a paid-for opportunity. If you’d like to showcase your product, get in touch with the WTM London Sales team.