Travelocity launches new trip planning tool
October 29, 2007 | Online Travel
A shift away from date and destination-based search, the RoadTrip Wizards personalized search process generates filtered results based on user personas that vary by trip and preferences such as preferred vehicle type, hotel ratings and desired drive time.
Travelocity has announced the beta launch of the RoadTrip WizardTM, a new tool that streamlines and simplifies the road trip planning process. First to launch the RoadTrip Wizard platform, Travelocity customers can now benefit from a new way to plan every aspect of their road trip all in one place—a task that previously required multiple Web sites. This tool is available through an alliance with LeisureLogixTM, a new travel and navigation services company.
Road trips are a part of the American culture, said Andres Fabris, vice president business development Travelocity. What our customers were missing was one place to plan their road trips based on what they want to see and do. The RoadTrip Wizard will not only fill this gap, it will also allow them to personalize plans based on what they want to get out of their trip.
A shift away from date and destination-based search, the RoadTrip Wizards personalized search process generates filtered results based on user personas that vary by trip (romantic trip, trip with kids, girls getaway trip, etc.) and preferences such as preferred vehicle type (car, RV, motorcycle), hotel ratings and desired drive time. Focusing on the who, what, and how of road trip planning, the RoadTrip Wizards process mimics a conversation with a travel agent, allowing the user to explore options and ideas while planning.
We developed the RoadTrip Wizard to serve a much neglected population of leisure road trip travelers. Before our tool, there was no Web site merging the capabilities of planning, booking, mapping and routing for road trips with our degree of personalization, said Michael Hulley, CEO of LeisureLogix. Eighty-eight percent of leisure travel is done on the road and the online marketplace was overwhelmingly focused on air travel before the RoadTrip Wizard.
The RoadTrip Wizards intelligent advice engine scours one of the broadest location-based services databases with more than five million points of interest (from wineries to festivals, dry cleaners to national parks), making it easy to get ideas and plan any length of road trip. Merged with sophisticated mapping and routing tools, potential trips are mapped out and then supported with step by step driving directions.
Using the RoadTrip Wizard on Travelocity, travelers can plan road trips and find:
Places to stay: hotels and motels, vacation rentals, marinas, B&Bs, and condo rentals
Places to eat: typical cuisines like American, Asian and Italian to more specific like Tapas, Kosher, Moroccan, Organic, Turkish, Tea Studios
Places to shop: department stores, charity and thrift, to specialty, repair, antiques and collectibles, fishing supplies, fireplace equipment, party supplies and window treatments to consignment, fine china and glassware, toupees and wigs, pawn shops and plumbing, spas, hair and nail salons
Places to go: cities, towns and villages, arboretums/gardens, beaches, lakes, rivers, swimming pools, open spaces and water parks
Things to do: attractions, culture, museums, entertainment, family fun parks, petting zoos, wildlife refuges, lighthouses, planetariums, ship tours, bars, gaming, historical, worship, sports, tours, wineries, live theaters, gravesites, monster trucks and tractor pulls, boat racing, motorcycle racing, NASCAR/stock cars, off-track and ATV, paintball, river rafting, golfing and shooting ranges, helicopter and airplane tours
Things you need: medical services including day clinics, hospitals, funeral homes, cemeteries, florists, RV clubs, pet services like boarding and grooming, babysitting, charter planes, helicopters, locksmiths, storage, tourist offices, post offices, laundromats, drycleaners, car washes, movie theaters, repair garages
Events to attend: festivals and fairs, carnivals, concerts, museum exhibits, farmers markets, parades, shows, sporting events
Online booking of air, car, hotels and attractions is provided through Travelocity Partner Network. Content is provided and edited by LeisureLogixs research team as well as sources including WCities (events, attractions, city guides), deCarta (mapping platform) and TeleAtlas (geocoded yellow pages information edited for travelers). Information on beaches and lakes, camping, hiking and climbing, general sightseeing, gambling, theme parks, sporting events, golf and spas along with dining, shopping and relevant events taking place along the route, are part of the differentiating content.
Related Articles
The incredible shrinking airline
02 Jul, 2009 | Online Travel
Amadeus unveils new mobile solutions
02 Jul, 2009 | Online Travel
Kayak to Bing: Stop copying us!
30 Jun, 2009 | Online Travel
Booking business trips directly from Microsoft Outlook
30 Jun, 2009 | Online Travel
Information key feature for tourism social networking
25 Jun, 2009 | Online Travel
Tech, price, family drive US vacationers
25 Jun, 2009 | Online Travel
Hotel reviews and objectivity
25 Jun, 2009 | Online Travel
Summer travel trends according to hotels.com
23 Jun, 2009 | Online Travel
S.F. 1 Expedia 0
23 Jun, 2009 | Online Travel
U.S. spending on travel, tourism dropped 5.9% in first quarter
18 Jun, 2009 | Online Travel
Most Popular Articles
How to maximize your hotel’s GDS distribution
30 Jun, 2009 | Hospitality Industry
PKF sees hotel rates continuing to fall in 2010
17 Jun, 2009 | Hospitality Industry
If you discount, do so carefully
18 Jun, 2009 | Hospitality Industry
Summer travel trends according to hotels.com
23 Jun, 2009 | Online Travel
Luxury brands waking to a new reality
18 Jun, 2009 | Hospitality Industry
New hotel review site launches with independent, expert reviews
24 Jun, 2009 | Hospitality Industry
Hotel technology moving into the cloud
24 Jun, 2009 | Hospitality Industry
Destination marketing in the age of Web 2.0 and beyond
16 Jun, 2009 | Online Travel
Information key feature for tourism social networking
25 Jun, 2009 | Online Travel
âThrivingâ not just âsurvivingâ in a depressed economy: Tips for the independents
17 Jun, 2009 |
Economic Downturn
Rate integrity in a down market
02 Jul, 2009 | Hospitality Industry
The incredible shrinking airline
02 Jul, 2009 | Online Travel
U.S. spending on travel, tourism dropped 5.9% in first quarter
18 Jun, 2009 | Online Travel
If you discount, do so carefully
18 Jun, 2009 | Hospitality Industry
Luxury brands waking to a new reality
18 Jun, 2009 | Hospitality Industry
Travelocity says book now
17 Jun, 2009 | Online Travel
LHW courting guests discreetly with sweet deals
16 Jun, 2009 | Hospitality Industry
The new normal, according to McKinsey
11 Jun, 2009 | Internet Marketing
Pressure on hotel rates not likely to go away soon
04 Jun, 2009 | Hospitality Industry
Travelocity issues âTraveler Confidenceâ report
03 Jun, 2009 | Online Travel
New study reveals changes in leisure travelers’ online search behavior
02 Jun, 2009 |
Marriott launches ‘Deal of the Day’, exclusively on Twitter
02 Jun, 2009 | Hospitality Industry
Expedia makes airline no-fee policy permanent, eliminates hotel cancel/change fees
28 May, 2009 | Online Travel
The new high-end consumer
28 May, 2009 | Internet Marketing
Hoteliers most concerned with marketing ROI
26 May, 2009 |














