Visitors who are researching and planning for future trips to Kelowna or residents looking to explore locally can now create personalized itineraries from content on tourismkelowna.com using the newly launched Itinerary Builder.
As visitors browse the website, they can add content such as listings, events, and #exploreKelowna Blog content to the Itinerary Builder tool by clicking on the "Add to Itinerary" heart icon displayed on the site. The Itinerary Builder tool will store all of the items selected, which can then be viewed through the Itinerary Builder Counter (the heart icon located on the top right side of the website's navigation bar). Clicking on the counter will take the visitor to a page populated with all of the active content they've added to their itinerary, which can be saved or shared with others.
How it Works
- An "Add to Itinerary" feature has been added to all listings, events, and #exploreKelowna Blog Posts.
- Itinerary Builder stores all of the items (listings, events, blog posts) a visitor selects on a dynamically populated page, which the visitor can access from the various Itinerary Builder quick access icons (from items added to itinerary), as well as the Itinerary Builder Counter (located in the top right side of the website).
- The items within the Itinerary Builder provide quick-glance information to the visitor including image, name, and address; clicking on each item will provide additional information.
- "Get Directions" functionality, which is integrated with Google Maps, allows a visitor to get directions between any two listings selected from their itinerary.
- Visitors have the ability to create, review, modify or share their customized itinerary.
- The shareable link allows visitors to come back to their itinerary at a later date, or share it with friends and family.
How it Helps
- Allows visitors to easily create their own itineraries and save them with a link for future reference.
- Helps visitors plan their trip by displaying locations of itinerary items on a Google Map and offering a simple tool for getting directions between locations.
Visual Examples of Itinerary Builder
Below is an example of the Itinerary Builder page:
When a user clicks the "Open Maps" button on the Itinerary Builder page, the Google maps integration, seen below, will show the locations of everything in the itinerary.
The user can then select the two applicable locations and hit "Get Directions" to be provided with a Google maps link with the applicable directions.
In the image below, you'll see an example of the "Add to Itinerary" icon on the Places to Stay page. The empty heart shows the item can be added to the itinerary, while the filled-in heart shows the item has been added to the itinerary.
Finally, the image below shows the "Add to Itinerary" icon on a business listing. Once clicked, "View Itinerary" and "Remove from Itinerary" links will appear. You'll also see the "Itinerary Builder Counter" in the top right corner of the image (the heart icon with the zero next to it),
If you have any further questions about the Itinerary Builder, or about our website, please contact me at steve@tourismkelowna.com or at (250) 861-1515 ext. 216.