A powerful journey
A TOURISM VENTURE THAT AIMS TO HELP TRAVELERS WANDER OFF THE BEATEN PATH AND HELP SMALL ENTREPRENEURS AT THE SAME TIME.
People-First Tourism Inc. (P1t), founded by NC State scholars with backgrounds in anthropology, tourism studies and computer science, creates an online marketplace where the public has direct pathways to vetted micro-entrepreneurs.
"We found that the common denominator between locals was SMS (Short Message Service),” said Bass, the director of NC State’s Institute for Next Generation IT Systems. “If there is no Internet or computers or basic infrastructure, these micro-entrepreneurs still most likely have SMS.”
Think global – act local
Maintaining momentum for social change needs strong advocates and big ideas. The researchers stepped out of their comfort zone to create something they deeply believe in, keeping the integrity of the social mission and impact at the center of the work. Building a social enterprise is challenging — you’re driving up revenue and at the same time keeping track of a vision that improves the way the world works.
The project is very much an interdisciplinary effort. In addition to Tim Wallace, an anthropologist, the other co-founders are Duarte Morais and Gene Brothers, professors of equitable and sustainable tourism at NC State, and computer science engineer John Bass.
Choosing a pathway
Through the website users can learn about and book experiences with locals, ranging from cooking lessons with Costa Rican indigenous people to soap-making sessions in the NC Blue Ridge Mountains.
Currently, to book an experience with one of the locals online, users search by destination to find the company’s list of offerings. A user can then read about what each experience entails and add their selections to an electronic shopping cart. (Experience has shown that this purchasing conversion workflow has proven to be a problem with customers and is changing in version 2.0 – see below).
Each booking sends a text message to the local host, who responds to finalize the details. Payment is made online, and the money goes directly to the micro-entrepreneur.
BRINGING P1T TO LIFE
Being part of something bigger was a strong message that the brand and site had to convey. In an attempt to distinguish this brand apart from other tourism websites, P1T's new website highlights a genuine commitment to those seeking a world where travelers develop deep connections with their hosts, are transformed by the genuine local cultures they experience, and improve the lives of the people they visit.
Working together, we developed ways to make the P1T story real for people inside the organization, and also for the community it serves. One key strategy was to design their visual identity to reflect the company’s positioning. We created customized typefaces to give them a proprietary logo, and used powerful, clear language to convey the company’s brand story and the impact of P1T for the tourism community.
In addition to the website, postcards, large format posters, business cards, and social media content were fundamental touch points for the identity.
P1T version 2.0
People-First Tourism is currently going through a complete redesign. We are refining conversion and acquisition workflows to build trust with potential customers.
Immediate new features include :
1, Booking Request Forms (for a non-traditional purchasing experience).
2, P1T Newsletter Subscription Widget
Possible future add on features include :
1, P1T Live Chat Widget
2, Customer Reviews
