Virtual Travel Agency for Japan: how we helped a global travel player implement innovative digital solutions
Lundegaard successfully participates in the digital transformation of the travel agency JapanSpecialist.com to offer tailor-made tours to Japan for European travellers. The collaboration has already delivered major benefits - from the creation of an innovative virtual product to the expansion of self-service options for planning tours to the Asian country.
The travel agency's digitalization process was triggered by the closure of Japan to foreign tourists during the Covid-19 pandemic. Japanspecialist decided to look for innovative solutions to adapt its business model to the adverse situation. The company eventually chose the concept of a virtual travel agency (VTA) and approached Lundegaard to create this new digital product.
Customers were able to book virtual consultations with travel experts to help them better prepare for future trips, complete all the necessary formalities to enter the country and plan their holidays. At the same time, this approach has enabled the office to maintain interest in Japan and continue to operate despite the limitations at the time and any other potential limitations in the future.
Lundegaard played a key role throughout the process, from the design of the new digital product, through prototyping and user testing, to the design of the final product. The collaboration also included extensive user research to improve the sales processes and user experience of the Japan Specialist website.
After the opening of the border, the platform gradually transformed into a self-service system for booking tours to Japan. The new version of the service has been successfully localized for seven European countries, including localized versions of the website and customization for different shopping habits in each region based on user research.
"Working with JapanSpecialist has been an exceptional challenge for us. We helped design an entirely new digital product for an overseas market that allowed the company to continue to interact with travellers during the pandemic, while creating a strong platform for future development. It also gave us the opportunity to show how digital solutions can help global travel agencies face different challenges, including pandemic ones, and how important digital is for the travel industry, where market needs are constantly changing. Customers today simply expect fast and intuitive digital interfaces that allow them to easily plan and manage their trips," explains Petr Buchbauer, CEO of Lundegaard.
Thanks to the successful cooperation, the project has gradually been implemented in various cultural and shopping habits in Europe and plans further expansion.
JapanSpecialist.com is a subsidiary of global travel agency Kuoni Tumlare and part of JTB, one of the largest travel companies in the world. JapanSpecialist offers European travelers tailor-made itineraries, cultural experiences and guided tours, in-depth market expertise and resources for travel to their destination.
