Activity Discovery — Making "Top 10 Things to Do" Immersive
Increase inspiration → confidence → conversion for in-destination experiences by making the "Top 10 things to do" more immersive and decision-friendly.
The Pitch
The 'tours, activities & experiences' segment is the third largest in the travel industry, boasting a market size of over $225 billion. Remarkably, one-fourth of this revenue is generated through online sales, with an average margin of approximately 13%. Despite the substantial market potential, this area remains largely untapped, capturing less than 1% of the market share.
Instead of scrolling through static images, users dive into 360-degree videos and augmented reality previews of tours and attractions. They can virtually explore a museum, feel the thrill of a zip line, or experience the ambiance of a local cooking class — all from their smartphone or tablet. We're not just selling activities; we're selling dreams and experiences. The result? Higher engagement rates, increased bookings, and improved customer satisfaction.
The Problem
Static & Uninspiring
Static lists didn't convey what the experience actually feels like
Users Bounced
Users bounced to YouTube / Instagram for validation
Low Engagement
Low engagement with experiences compared to hotels & flights
Desired Outcome
Travelers should easily consume activity options in an immersive way rather than clicking through static images
The existing experience: a static, scroll-heavy list with thumbnail images
Research Insights
- Expedia Group Media Solutions Study (2021): 68% of consumers were inspired to travel by content they viewed on social media platforms, with Instagram being one of the top sources.
- TikTok Travel Trends Report (2021): The #travel hashtag had over 57 billion views, and users who viewed travel content were 4.5x more likely to discover a new travel destination and 2.8x more likely to book a trip.
- Facebook IQ Travel Report: 52% of users said their friend's photos inspired travel plans, highlighting the power of visual platforms like Instagram.
- Global Web Index Social Media Report: Younger generations, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, use social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok for travel inspiration and planning.
The Process
I conducted diary studies with 30 travelers during their trip planning, documenting every touchpoint and pain point. We analyzed booking data from competitor platforms and identified that visually rich content was the key differentiator when booking activities or experiences. I created low-fidelity prototypes testing three different discovery models: search-first, browse-first, and recommendation-first. User testing showed that 78% preferred the search approach. I designed a card-based interface with rich previews, clear pricing, and social proof. After building an interactive prototype, we conducted A/B tests with 50 users, which validated our swipe interaction pattern.
Diary studies with 30 travelers, booking data analysis, competitor research
3 discovery models tested: search-first, browse-first, recommendation-first
78% preferred search approach, A/B tested with 50 users, validated swipe pattern
A/B test: 50/50 split, 3–4 weeks, mobile web + app
Wireframe Exploration
Explored four layout directions — Split View, Sidebar, Compact List, and Bottom Sheet — before converging on the immersive full-screen approach
Key Features
Discovery Carousel
Activities search results as video thumbnail carousel. Each card shows video, duration, price, and traveler ratings.
Immersive Video View
Full screen activity video reel with sound. Shows duration, price per traveler, rating with option to save, share or open PDP.
Navigational Gestures
Onboarding gesture guide to navigate between activities, swipe to next image/video, pause/unpause, mute/unmute.
Final Designs
Left to right: Redesigned destination page → Immersive full-screen view → Swipe up for details → Swipe down to close
Experiment Setup
Control
Thumbnail image, Activity title, No motion or immersive preview
Variant
Video carousel, Full-screen immersive playback, Inline decision data (price, duration, rating)
- Traffic split: 50/50
- Duration: 3–4 weeks
- Platforms: Mobile web + app
The Impact
Users engaging with the immersive experience were significantly more likely to view key decision attributes such as price, duration, and ratings — highlighting that the feature supported considered decision-making, not passive video consumption.
This experiment demonstrated that rich, video-led inspiration can meaningfully improve the discovery and conversion of in-destination experiences for Expedia's mobile-first traveler base.