Insight

Why every travel brand needs an app

Photo of Anthony Main

Anthony Main

founder

November 3, 2023

published

In today’s fast-paced world, travel has become more accessible than ever before. With countless options at their fingertips, travellers are looking for seamless experiences that cater to their needs. One way to meet these expectations and enhance your travel organisation is by investing in a dedicated app.

In this blog, we explore how an app can significantly improve the user journey, build brand loyalty, promote paperless travel and contribute to your organisation’s eco-friendly goals, ultimately setting your travel organisation apart from the competition.

Enhanced user journey

The world of travel is a competitive market, therefore providing a smooth and enjoyable experience is the key to standing out from the crowd. A mobile app can be the perfect way to transform how customers interact with your brand, ensuring every stage of their journey is simple while reducing the number of clicks needed for them to get what they need.

Travellers often face multiple touchpoints from researching destinations to booking flights, accommodations, and activities. An app can streamline this process, offering the following benefits:

Customisation

Today’s traveller expects more than just a one-size-fits-all service. With an app, you can offer personalised experiences based on user data like previous bookings, preferences, and location. By analysing their interactions, you can suggest relevant destinations, accommodations and activities, all of which create a tailored experience that keeps them engaged and leaves them feeling valued.

Convenience

Customers love to have everything they need, as quickly and easily as possible, especially when unexpected issues arise! You can give them this experience by giving them access to all they need with a few taps on their phone—flight details, accommodation bookings, and even local recommendations.

An app brings everything together in one easy-to-access place, meaning your customers can plan, manage, and book trips at their own convenience. The ability to easily access bookings, make changes, and get instant information means happier, stress-free travellers. It also helps minimise the load on your customer service teams too!

Real-time updates

Whether it’s a delayed flight, gate changes, or last-minute hotel offers, keeping customers informed is crucial in today’s fast-moving travel industry. An app allows you to send real-time notifications directly to your users, ensuring they’re always up to date. This not only enhances their experience but also makes your company more reliable, in turn, gaining their trust to return in the future.

 

Building brand loyalty

Loyalty in the travel industry is a precious asset. An app can play a pivotal role in cultivating strong, lasting relationships with your customers. Through frequent engagement, personalised experiences, and rewards, your app becomes a valuable tool to keep customers coming back. Here’s how:

Frequent interaction


One of the biggest advantages of having an app is that it opens up a direct line of communication between your brand and the traveller. Having the ability to push notifications with in-app messages and personalised offers keeps your brand on your customer's minds, even when they aren’t actively travelling. This is especially handy for when they plan their next trip too.

Travel apps - The Distance

Rewards and incentives

Everyone loves a good loyalty program, and your app is the perfect place to manage it. Offering points for bookings, special discounts, or early access to deals can motivate customers to stick with your brand. The more value they see in using your app, the more likely they are to book through you again and again.

Feedback and improvement

An app facilitates direct communication with your customers. Collecting feedback and addressing concerns promptly not only improves user satisfaction but also demonstrates your commitment to delivering exceptional experiences.

 
Boarding pass app - The Distance

Embracing paperless travel

As technology advances, the need for physical documents diminishes. Travel organisations can contribute to a sustainable future by promoting paperless travel. But how can an app enable your organisation to make a difference?

E-tickets and itineraries

Gone are the days of travellers needing to print boarding passes, tickets, or itineraries. With an app, all of these essential travel documents can be stored digitally, easily accessible right from a mobile device. This reduces the hassle for them and ensures they always have their essential documents on hand.

Digital guides

With a travel app, you can offer digital guides, local maps, and interactive itineraries that travellers can access on the go. Instead of relying on physical pamphlets or guidebooks, customers can explore destinations digitally, with recommendations based on their preferences or location. This also helps to reduce waste and have a better environmental impact!

Sustainability information

Use your app to educate travellers about eco-friendly practices and options, such as public transportation, sustainable accommodations, and responsible tourism. Encouraging accountable choices can make a positive impact on the environment.

Eco-friendliness and sustainability

In addition to reducing paper usage, an app can contribute to your travel organisation's eco-friendly goals in various ways, including:

Reduced fuel consumption

By providing real-time updates, your app can enable travellers to make informed decisions, potentially leading to fewer trips or more efficient routes. This, in turn, reduces fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

Digital payments

One simple but effective way to reduce your organisation’s reliance on physical resources is by offering digital payments. With secure, fast, and contactless payment options integrated into your app, you reduce the need for paper receipts, physical currency, and transaction waste.

Green initiatives


Use your app as a platform to promote eco-friendly excursions, support local conservation efforts, and highlight sustainable partners. This not only aligns your brand with environmentally conscious values but also provides travellers with responsible options.

Having an app for your travel organisation offers a multitude of benefits. It enhances the user journey, builds brand loyalty, promotes paperless travel, and contributes to your eco-friendly goals.

By embracing the digital age and sustainable practices, your organisation can stand out in the competitive travel industry while making a positive impact on both travellers and the environment. So, take the leap into the world of mobile apps, and watch your travel organisation soar to new heights.


At The Distance, we specialise in crafting innovative apps for the travel and transport sectors. If you’re in the market to take your travel business to the next level, partner with us to transform your travel and transport ideas into powerful digital tools that drive engagement, efficiency, and growth.

 
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