Revolutionizing Travel Planning with AI:
A Smarter & Effortless Way to Explore
Your Ultimate Travel Guide Starts Here
9:41
Tsushima, Japan
Historical tour of Tsushima
$139/person
21.1 miles
3.2 miles
3D/4N
Jogaku Temple
$139/person
21.1 miles
3.2 miles
3D/4N
Historical trip of Italy
$139/person
21.1 miles
3.2 miles
3D/4N
Explore
Bucket List
Trips
Profile
Generate
+2
Historical tour of Tsushima
$139/person
21.1 miles
3.2 miles
3D/4N
What’s your budget?
$ 0
$ 2000
The Team
Founder
4 UX Researchers
Product Designer (That's me🙋)
Timeline
4 Months
Contributions
Led end-to-end design and research to deliver a MVP solution
Conducted detailed user research including interviewing 2 of 10 users
Synthesized data to create 3 unique features including potential monetization opportunities for the application
Created high fidelity prototypes and evaluated designs with 10 participants
👀
A Sneak peak
On average, travelers visit
38 websites before making a booking.
So we asked 30 travel enthusiasts, What apps/methods do you use to plan your itinerary?
To document routes
To calculate budget
For communication
You know what this is for
The Problem?
Trip planning is time consuming, disorganized, and impersonal for modern travelers.
Impact
Enroute delivers smarter, faster, and more meaningful travel experiences with potential to reduce planning time by up to 40%.
Percieved Adoption Rate
Sample size: 10
🏆
People's Choice Award
Capstone Project Showcase
Expressed Interest to upgrade
for premium features
🚀
Deep Dive
Business Goal
Develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that provides hyper-personalized travel experiences, leading to user acquisition and potential monetization opportunities
My Personal Challenge
Since travel is inherently vast and deeply personal, it was initially challenging to define the scope and align it with both business objectives and user needs.
Our Approach and it's Outcome
In collaboration with stakeholders, we used the Business Model Canvas supported by data-driven insights to map both business and user needs, helping us narrow down the project scope.
Key Partnerships
Travel booking platforms: Hotels (Booking.com, Expedia, Agoda)
Flights (Skyscanner, Kayak API)
Tours (basic partnerships for experiences)
AI/ML tech providers (OpenAI, Llama for route personalization).
Influencers for early beta testing & launch push.
Key Activities
Travel booking platforms: Hotels (Booking.com, Expedia, Agoda)
Great for itinerary organization
Great for itinerary organization
Customer Relationships
Optional personalization adjustments to fine-tune profile over time.
"Smart match" system recommending trips based on user's evolving personality
Channels
Mobile App (Primary) — iOS & Android (direct download).
Customer Segments
Frequent travelers (both leisure & business) looking for quick trip curation.
Millennials and Gen Z travelers who prefer personalized, plans.
First-time travelers seeking simple and fast itinerary solutions.
Small groups & solo travelers needing flexible planning.
Occasional travelers who want easy plug-and-play trips without research.
Great for itinerary organization
Great for itinerary organization
Timothy
Chandan
Business Model Canvas
Research
in-depth interviews with frequent travelers and secondary research
10
In-depth interviews
30+
Survey responses
50+
Research papers analysed
Insights from research
"I want an itinerary that feels personalized, not just generic suggestions"
Lack of personalization
70% struggle to find activities that match their interests
"I love traveling with friends, but fitting everyone's suggestions into an itinerary is messy"
Disjointed collaboration
50% experience difficulty coordinating with friends while planning
"I am tired of sifting through too many sites and co-ordinating them is just frustrating"
Decision fatigue
Sifting through numerous websites to find information
Competitive Analysis
No existing platform dynamically adjusts itineraries based on user personality
Competitor
Tripadvisor
Wanderlog
TripIt
Pros
Strong reviews & recommendations
Good group planning features
Great for itinerary organization
Limitations
Lacks collaborative planning tools
Doesn’t auto-generate itineraries
No AI-powered personalization
Gap in the market
No collaborative AI-powered trip planner that helps groups coordinate plans seamlessly.
Scroll to see more analysis
Manual Exploration
The user has to add recommendations and add them to the itinerary
Manual Exploration
The user has to search locations and and add them to the itinerary
Manual Exploration
The user has to search locations and and add them to the itinerary
Problem to solve
Disconnected travel tools, Poor Collaboration, and Decision fatigue while creating an itinerary
User Goal
Curate Personalized routes, Shared planning, real-time Automation of tedious search and planning the itinerary
Ideation
How might we help travelers co-create personalized itineraries while reducing the time spent on planning and searching?
Dreamer
70 Wild Ideas with No restrictions
Explore places using fun facts or riddles with hints on the map.A platform/device that gives directions for rare finds.
Historical flashbacks with vintage photos or ads.
UI with vintage elements related to each state.
App displays a checklist of “how to be a local in...”
Users can apply filters to customize options.
Location-based audio narratives with notifications.
Group listening feature for audio narratives.
Synchronized playback for listening groups.
Users input exploration time, walking time, and preferences for ideal route suggestions.
Digital scrapbook (audio, video, badges) sent to users post-visit for social sharing.
Route filters: budget, popularity, rare finds, ratings, crowd levels.
Itinerary and planning tools.
Geo-location-based podcasts.
Gamification elements for engagement.
Treasure hunt game: earn points, credits, or restaurant discounts by completing tasks.
Platform that narrates stories about places as users visit or drive by.
App suggests local transportation options for an authentic experience.
State-specific welcome messages (e.g., "Howdy, partner!" in Texas).
Unlock vintage postcards upon entering a new state or completing challenges.
Mid-century travel poster-style illustrations in the UI.
Retro sound effects tied to the cultural vibe of each state.
"Surprise me" feature suggests hidden gems based on available time and location.
Conversational UI with a fictional character as a travel guide.
Group itinerary planning with shared editing access.
Engaging, interactive map interface for routes.
Select themes to generate personalized routes.
Use GenAI to generate personalized routes.
Notifications for spontaneous pop-up events or markets nearby.
Local transportation suggestions, including bikes and quirky transport options.
Highlight lesser-known festivals, traditions, and community events.
Calendar of seasonal events like farmers’ markets and parades.
Curated food trails guiding users to authentic local eateries.
Region-specific cuisine recommendations (e.g., lobster rolls in Maine).
Reviews, comments, and pictures under audio narratives.
Fun fact and trivia swipe-able cards.
Downloadable generated routes.
Route pins with detailed location cards (safety, parking, maps, etc.).
Users choose content format: audio, quizzes, fun facts, videos, or photos.
AI-generated live camera maps with interactive trivia and 3D elements.
AR-enhanced travel guidance with interactive storytelling.
Meta glasses as a travel buddy providing real-time suggestions.
AI-driven itinerary and trip planning based on user preferences.
Voice assistant syncing with geo-location for real-time recommendations.
Travel influencers’ routes available for users to explore.
User reviews contributing to filters and badges.
Unlocking 3D historical models and artifacts based on exploration time.
Public leaderboard displaying collected artifacts.
Bonus XP and coupons for visiting partnered locations.
Digital slam book for capturing and sharing trip memories.
State-themed elements inspired by unique state names (e.g., "The Garden State").
Social networking and engagement features for travelers.
Celebrity voice guides tailored to user interests.
Suggestions for current events at the travel destination.
AI-personalized recommendations while maintaining privacy.
AI-generated plans visualized in a user-friendly format.
Display trending social media content related to the destination.
AR filters overlaying historical images and videos at landmarks.
AI personas narrating stories as historical figures.
Collecting stories from local figures and presenting them as time-travel experiences.
Localized welcome messages on the homepage (e.g., “Hello from the Hoosier State”).
Follow historians and their audio narratives on destination history.
Add places with audio narratives to personalized itineraries.
User-generated content: travelers record and upload their experiences.
GPS-triggered audio narratives at landmarks.
Short trivia quizzes post-audio narrative for engagement.
Sending digital postcards via email after completing challenges.
Interactive, gamified elements to maintain user interest.
Accessibility considerations (parking accommodations, etc.).
Real-time leaderboard tracking user progress and discoveries.
Realist
15 Realistic ideas based on user needs
AR-based route visualizer
“Surprise Me” hidden gem feature
GenAI-powered route generator with thematic filters
Conversational UI with AI travel guide
Treasure hunt game with points or restaurant discounts
Checklist: “How to Be a Local in…”
Unlockable digital postcards or badges by state
Digital scrapbook (photos, video, badges)
Downloadable generated itineraries
Route filters: budget, popularity, rare finds, ratings, crowd levels
Group itinerary planning with shared editing access
Select themes to generate
personalized routes
Fun facts and trivia swipe-able cards
Critique
3 ideas that aligns both user needs and business goals
GenAI-powered route generator with thematic filters
Conversational UI with AI travel guide
Group itinerary planning with shared editing access
Feature 1
Colaborative AI Generated Itineraries Based on Trip Details
to create a plan that fits everyones needs
Scenario
Group travel often results in conflicting interests, making itinerary planning a hassle. Traditional planning requires constant discussion and compromise.
For example: One traveler may prefer museum visits, while another prefers outdoor hikes.
Solution
An AI-powered itinerary builder that automatically considers everyones preferences and generates customized trip plans based on user-provided details.
Create a bucket list
Invite people to this trip
Add locations, activities, etc. to your bucket list
Add trip information
Let AI consider all your group preferences, interests and budget
Indicates how well the user preferences have been included
User can add, remove or customize route
Estimated cost of the trip
See different routes generated by AI that matches preferences
Feature 2
Manual itinerary generation based on AI Internet Search
Scenario
When planning a trip, users must manually search for locations, Activities, hotels, activities, and transport options and fit them in their preferred budgets leading to long and inefficient workflows.
Solution
An AI-powered search feature, which will search the internet to find best hotels, restaurants, locations to created a curated list with just a click to help you build a custom itinerary
The search results will automatically be filtered based on your preferences
List view
Map view
You can use either list view to see high-level details or use a map view to visualize your route
List view
With just one tap, Search the internet
for your requirement
See the curated list
based on ratings, cost and distance
Found the perfect result? Click "+" to add it to your itinerary
Map view
Filter resources on the top
Click on any icon to view that resource
Found the perfect result? Click "+" to add it to your itinerary
Solving Business Goals
Revenue generation strategy for the MVP
Business Goals
Design the MVP so it can support viable revenue streams and pricing strategies within the pilot/MVP stage without requiring a complete redesign later. The goal is to test monetization options early while keeping flexibility to expand pricing tiers in future releases.
Success Criteria for Pricing Strategy
To evaluate each model, the following metrics are used:
Value for Money (All User Types) – Equitable perceived value for both frequent travellers and casual travellers.
Affordability – Should be a clearly cheaper alternative compared to existing travel planning tools.
AI Model Usage Cost Feasibility – Pricing covers operational costs for AI inference and API usage without compromising profit margins.
Low Hassle for User – Minimal complexity in understanding the payment process, no hidden costs.
Scalability & Retention Potential – Ability to scale to more users while maintaining predictable revenue and encouraging repeat use.
Different Pricing plans explored
One-time fee model
Fixed payment at the time of download or saving a trip.
One payment unlocks full access.
Low cost vs. other tools.
No recurring revenue to cover AI costs.
Must decide to pay upfront without trial.
No incentive for repeat use.
Pay as you go model
Charge per trip, per route, or via credits purchased at time of saving the trip.
Pay only for what you use.
Flexible spend per trip.
Data Encryption
Payment needed for each trip.
Hard to build loyalty.
Subscription model
Selected
Freemium approach – App is free; premium features unlocked with monthly/yearly plans.
Ongoing access for one fee.
Low monthly entry cost.
Predictable recurring revenue.
Auto-renews, no repeated payments.
Churn risk if features aren’t sticky.
Access to Price Estimator & Hidden costs
Editing a trip generated by the AI
Premium features indicated within the app
Map view
On Reaching the limit of trips
While editing the AI generated trip
Pricing plan page
Usability Testing
What did the user day about the new design?
Types of testing
We conducted remote moderated usability testing including
3
Methods
10
Participants
3
User flows
Avg. Time on Task:
3:23s
10/10 completed the tasks successfully
We created and trained a custom GPT model to analyze user preferences and the travel archetypes to see if the generated itinerary matches with user preferences.
7/10 have expressed satisfaction of relevance of suggestions
User Quote
"I wish I had a trip like this when planning my honeymoon, It would have been so easy"
One of the user during user testing
User Quote
"Usually, planning my weekend getaway takes longer than the trip itself. Enroute had it sorted so fast"
One of the user during user testing
Impact
Enroute delivers smarter, faster, and more meaningful travel experiences with potential to reduce planning time by up to 40%.
Percieved Adoption Rate
Sample size: 10
🏆
People's Choice Award
Capstone Project Showcase
Expressed Interest to upgrade
for premium features
Coffee is Overrated,
Let’s Connect for a Pizza!
(That’s Just a joke, I love Coffee)
2024
© Chandan Jonnavithula