overtourism
carbon emissions
exploitation
socio-cultural
overtourism carbon emissions exploitation socio-cultural
Vacation Better.
Our team was tasked with creating a technology that would help achieve a UN Sustainable Development Goal. We chose to support goal eleven: Sustainable Cities and Communities. We looked at some of the main contributors to unsustainable practices, and our research led us to tourism. So many tourists negatively impact the sustainability of a location. Over-tourism, cultural ignorance, lavish mindset, and lack of environmental knowledge all contribute to unsustainable tourism.
Tech for Sustainable Development
We developed an app that would reward travelers for vacationing responsibly. EcoTryp is a travel planning app that promotes environmentally friendly destinations, transport, activities, and lodging. Booking a trip though EcoTryp ensures you are choosing what is best for the planet.
Once a trip is planned, EcoTryp offers a host of educational articles and videos about the destination. The more you learn the more points you receive. These points can be used at local establishments on your vacation for discounts or deals. This promotes traveler awareness and local businesses.
In an effort to gain more industry understanding, I spoke with two designers at Expedia about travel trends and the ecotourism market. I also conducted preliminary research using surveys with Likert scales and short answers and multiple choice. After our prototype was complete we conducted usability tests to gain feedback on our design and concept.
Read our report or view our Figma prototype here