A mobile travel app is a service that helps users plan their movements around the world: book tickets for a trip on public transport, book hotel rooms or a bed in hostels, organise excursions, and find like-minded people. An application like this helps to save money on travel costs, plan travel logistics better, and find the best solution — where to fill up a car, where to eat, or places to see. More than half of air travel tickets were sold online in 2011.
Modern technology and online access to reference information, as well as development tools, allow developers to wonder how to create a travel app. Our partner Perpet.io has experience answering this question.
Travel application: technologies, functions, monetisation
The main idea of this kind of application is that the user doesn’t have to search hundreds of sites for information about companies that provide transport services and hotels, as well as attractions.
An aggregator is a technology that collects various data from various sources on the Internet, in this case, geodata, as well as data on prices, transport, and tourism infrastructure. It also collects additional background information on demography, climate, and government. The aggregator of companies providing transport services – this technology generates, for example, routes along which multiple transport companies provide their services. Using filters, you can generate the cheapest routes from point A to point B on the world map or a particular country.
At the request of the traveller, as a result of generating data, the application generates a list of offers that match the request. Thus, using travel applications, the user of this application can select offers from hundreds of different sources on one screen of the application – the most optimal options (according to price, location, and interests).
Hotel services aggregator
After finding the best route and booking a public transportation ticket, you, as a traveller, will need to book accommodation – a hotel room, a bed in a hostel, or a private house as a guest. For this purpose, you can either search for hotels and hostels on your own, and then compare their prices, or you can use an aggregator of companies that provide hotel services. I assure you that the first method is a very laborious process and not always effective.
As a result of a search using the aggregator, you will receive a list of hotels and hostels along your entire route. The list can be filtered by price (from cheapest to most expensive).
Recreational activities
Arriving at the destination of your trip, you will want to look around to absorb the local flavour – traditions, and culture. Turning to local guides, they will offer you sights are commonly overpriced.
The travel application has a feature that tells you about interesting places. This feature will help you find the gems of the city. Using the filter, you can set the theme of your encounter with the city, for example, with sports facilities or culinary attractions. You can use both traditional text and graphic content, as well as video or audio reviews from vloggers to find information. Using virtual reality technology, users can feel as if they are in a different place while still staying in their homes.
MVP
You can on your own create a travel app for outdoor enthusiasts. With your application, these users should be able to select destinations related to sports or outdoor activities. The minimum viable product that your travel application should have a list of these features:
1. The registration process (personalises the user’s account).
The function gathers user data and personalises the results of his work during use of the service. If the registration process could be simplified by allowing the user to register using their social network credentials, then that should be done. This increases the conversion of leads into app users by over 20%.
2. Aggregators of information and filters (based on geolocation, interests, dates, and prices) are used to help users find the information they are looking for.
Aggregators create databases that need to be stored on a local SQLite server or a cloud-based Firebase server. To display information received from different sources on the application screen, API technology (application programming interface) is used. And, to structure the information received, it needs the function of creating structured lists.
3. The booking system and integration of payment systems must be implemented.
The latter also uses the API, which makes the payment for services safe and simple to operate.
4. Pop-up notification system.
This informs the user about upcoming events, such as the time of the flights’ departure, as well as actions already taken, such as the successful booking of bus tickets.
5. Onboarding is an application guide that answers the user’s question “How does it work?”.
The minimum viable product provides an opportunity to experience this demand and receive feedback from users. You can add or remove features from the core list as the database of requested features builds up.
Issue price
The cost of the development team is $40 per hour. Developers require at least 500 hours to create an MVP. The total is $20,000. In the future, to optimise the travel app, you will need to purchase additional developer work valued at $5,000. For an app that has the potential to generate more than $5,000 per month, $25,000 is a reasonable investment.
Monetization
Users of travel apps pay for access to structured information that saves them time and money. The better (more complete, reliable, and timely) the information, the more valuable your digital product will be. There are three monetization models:
- in the free version of the application, users pay for services (usually for additional ones),
- also in the free version, advertisers pay for advertising,
- the application is free, and there are no ads or paid services. The fee for using the application is built into the price of products.
Which monetization model to choose depends on the creditworthiness of your target audience. If your product is expensive, then your service should be personalised and users should be willing to pay. For free services, users are willing to watch ads.
Summary
A travel app doesn’t have to be used for commercial purposes; it can be personal or corporate, such as for a travel company. It is possible to create an application with the help of developers. If third-party developers are involved in the project, the cost of the application will be more than $25,000. If you set up the marketing of the project correctly, it can pay off 2 years after the launch. In case you decide to try your hand at creating a travel app on your own, you can use the reference information of our partners – Perpet.io.
A pet travel application project should focus on the local user. As the user base grows, you will be able to cover a wider geography. Local knowledge, lack of competition, and inexpensive marketing are your advantages.
James is a great tech-geek and loves to write about different upcoming tech at TechyZip. From Android to Windows, James loves to share his experienced knowledge about everything here.
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