Travel web and mobile apps
Mobile app and web platform for discovering, planning, and booking trips across Canada
This project was developed under NDA, so all brand and product names have been anonymized.
Client
Our client is a Canadian entrepreneur with several ventures in the tourism sector, helping domestic and international travelers discover the best of Canada.
They partnered with us to create an app for trip planning, booking, and travel profile management.
Project idea
Given Canada’s geographic size and remote location, international travel can be costly and less accessible to Canadians, so domestic travel is more popular.
Our client decided to focus on providing users with authentic experiences like adventure tourism in the Rockies, culinary tours in Montreal, eco-friendly retreats, Indigenous-led cultural immersions, wellness trips, and more. They needed a one-stop platform for finding and booking trips, monetized through commissions from bookings and premium placements for tourism providers.
Key project objectives
UI/UX design
We designed a few concepts inspired by Canada’s landscapes — using cool tones, high-contrast images of national parks, cities, and unique regions.
After several rounds of iteration with the client, we settled on a clean interface with crisp typography and intuitive controls, ensuring accessibility for all users and bilingual support for English and French.
Landing page
To boost pre-launch engagement, we created a landing page with a bold call to action, instantly connecting visitors to the app’s key benefits and exclusive early access offers. The design mirrors the app’s branding, featuring curated destinations, testimonials, user reviews, and prominent download buttons for quick installs.
A pastel color palette and modern layout highlight travel deals and reinforce credibility, making the platform inviting and trustworthy from the very first click.
Travelers’ features
Sign in
Travelers can sign up with email, mobile, or Apple, Google, and Facebook logins.
Discovery & search
- Browse curated destinations across Canada with category filters — provinces, cities, regions, interests.
- Smart search bar suggesting trending trips, experiences, or deals.
Trip details
- Comprehensive destination pages, featuring photos, descriptions, and partner deals
- Compare best hotels, flights, and tour packages by date, price, and rating
- Modular itinerary builder for users to plan by day and activity
Payments
- Fully integrated Stripe payments, supporting major card options and BNPL providers, with transparent taxes and bilingual receipts.
- Automated discounts and loyalty perks for repeat travelers.
Trip management
- “My Trips” dashboard for current and upcoming reservations, receipts, and personalized recommendations.
- Easy cancellation and change requests, with real-time status updates.
User reviews & Customer support
- Ability to leave and browse reviews for destinations, accommodation, and tours
- “Friends who’ve visited” insights linked via social accounts
- Integrated Intercom chat for real-time support and trip inquiries
Travel partners’ features
Partner sign in
Secure registration and login for hotels, tour operators, and local partners.
Business listing management
Add, edit, or remove listings — including photos, details, availability, and pricing.
Booking management
View and manage all reservations, with options to confirm, cancel, or modify bookings from the partner dashboard.Promotions and placements
Create and manage special offers, discounts, and apply for featured placements to increase visibility.Customer engagement
Respond directly to traveler inquiries and reviews, ensuring high service standards.Team access
Multi-user support enables partner teams to collaborate under a single account.
Performance analytics
Access an analytics dashboard with insights on bookings, customer reviews, and revenue trends.
Killer features
AI-powered recommendations
We integrated the app with an AI model to suggest users destinations, hotels, and experiences tailored to each traveler’s interests, activity history, and even real-time conditions like seasonality and local events.
Sustainable tourism
We highlighted eco-friendly accommodations, green transportation options, and partnerships with local operators committed to minimal environmental footprints. Special filters and badges show sustainable choices.
Development
Our client was clear from the outset: both mobile and web needed to launch together, right from version one. To do this without wasting resources, we decided to build both versions using JavaScript — React Native for mobile and Next.js for web.
With this setup, the team could share logic and utilities across both platforms, dramatically cutting down duplicate effort and ensuring a consistent user experience.
For the backend, we reached for familiar tools that have served us well before: Laravel as our workhorse framework, with PostgreSQL providing a rock-solid foundation for user data and bookings.
We also set up a comprehensive admin panel using Laravel Nova, giving them full control over user accounts, trip listings, and insights.
Integrations
BNPL payments
The integration processes payments securely via each provider’s API, with real-time approval and transparent repayment schedules displayed in the user’s account.
To meet the high demand for Buy Now, Pay Later payment options in Canada, we integrated PayBright and Klarna APIs directly into our travel platform, allowing users to split their booking costs into manageable installments at checkout.
Compliance
The app fully aligns with PIPEDA and applicable provincial privacy laws — meaning user consent, clear privacy notices, and easy access to personal data are built in.
We designed the platform to meet Canadian accessibility standards, always prioritizing user consent for data sharing. All pricing and terms comply with provincial consumer protection regulations, ensuring transparency around bookings and refunds.
Security
Our backend, powered by Laravel, protects against threats such as DDoS, SQL injection, and CSRF, while all admin interfaces are shielded with VPN access and robust authentication.
We validated all incoming data, enforced least privilege access across our workflow, and ensured 95%+ test coverage on core modules for added reliability.
Challenges we faced
Payment compliance
We needed to adapt Stripe workflows for Canadian taxes. We made the app calculate and display taxes accurately, support CAD transactions, and handle refunds according to provincial regulations. Our workflows were designed to accommodate complex cases, such as partial payments and booking cancellations
Data privacy
We needed to architect the app with Canadian law compliance in mind — it includes data residency, explicit consent for marketing, etc. We keep user data stored in Canada where required and ask users for clear consent before sending marketing messages. Users could easily see and control their own information.
Seasonal recommendations
The app required us to implement a dynamic recommendation engine that surfaces seasonally relevant trips and events. We developed an engine that analyzes travel trends, local weather, and event calendars to highlight trips and experiences that are most relevant for the current season.
Results
We delivered a functional MVP within the set budget and timeline. The app is now in beta with Canadian travel partners, collecting initial user feedback and bookings.
The client has already secured exclusive deals with local hotels and regional tour operators, boosting early engagement and differentiating the platform in the market.
Team and project in numbers
