Custom web app development for National Park Express

National Park Express is a tour, travel agent, and concierge service.

Duration 2020 – ongoing
Team 8 members
Type Travel Planner
Industry Tourism
Platforms Web

Project idea

The client wanted a platform offering multiple products to help tourists easily plan and pay for their dream vacation from a secure service. He also strived to provide the best resources, prices, and commissions to travel industry professionals, thus helping both parties meet each other’s needs.

Target audience

Two main user groups include travelers and industry professionals. Travelers benefit from a one-stop shop for making a dream vacation come true. Industry professionals receive the best resources, prices, and commissions worldwide in a simple, attractive, and intuitive platform.

Results

6+ years

Product Operates
Travelers’ Choice 2022

Award by TripAdvisor

Users access a comprehensive online booking portal for planning their worry-free travel experience to the Southwestern United States.
Travel professionals can use the platform to promote their services. They can also opt for a white-label solution and start operating the platform under their own brand.

View website

Core Tech

React
Node.js
Express.js
MongoDB

Project challenges

Integration of 10 databases to manage diverse types of products.

Integration and data exchange with third-party services to provide product information to users.

Setting up caching to reduce the number of API calls (and save system resources).
Delivering options needed to create a complex, customizable logic-based interface and on-site settings for each separate platform.

Using site settings, system administrators can change app logic, interface style, validation, etc.

Planning

Input

The client initially had:

Codebase inherited from the earlier project
Plan of product evolution
Narrow focus on specific niche needs

Analysis

Our team:

Had experience working with the earlier project
Used innovative technologies for maximum performance
Tuned data exchange with multiple third-party services

Result

Our work resulted in:

Delivery of a highly customizable platform
Increased software performance
Support devices such as kiosks with the option to transfer an itinerary to a personal device

Business benefits

Drag-and-drop functionality

Users interact with a simple, drag-and-drop website interface that easily compiles an itinerary.

Recommended itinerary

Users can choose a template tour planned by industry experts from a library. All tours are available for modification.

Extendibility

Easily extending to any travel destination (the client owns the brand Travel USA Express to support the whole USA outside of the Southwest).

White-label solution

Licensing as a white-label solution ensures that other companies can quickly use the platform to promote offers and services under their brands. No code changes and deployments.

Main project features

Multiple user roles

The system supports different roles and experiences (customer, agent, concierge, supplier, and staff) in a single codebase.

Variety of available products

Users choose from multiple products. These are available through five categories: Hotels, Experiences, Dining, Entertainment and Transportation.

They get discounts and price reductions when combining two or more products.

Product hold, payments, and order cancellation

Users can pay via Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.net. The platform provides sufficient time to reflect on the order before purchasing.

Users can cancel the entire order or its part through the website. Refunds are paid to the payment method used.

Trip information and documents

Users can pay via Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.net. The platform provides sufficient time to reflect on the order before purchasing.

Users can cancel the entire order or its part through the website. Refunds are paid to the payment method used.

Save, share, and add to favorites

The system allows to draft an itinerary without choosing dates or making payments.

Users can plan an itinerary together with friends and family members having profiles on the website. They can also add products to favorites and use them later for the itinerary plan.