Skyscanner trials new Road Trip function

Skyscanner has launched its new beta travel planner, Road Trips.

In partnership with Inspirock, the personalised itinerary platform combines Skyscanner’s booking services with the latter’s personalisation engine for sightseeing and activities.

Travellers can plan the perfect road trip, including optimal routes, hotels and accommodations and car hire options, and an itinerary of fun and enjoyment.

With searches for domestic travel now making up 43 per cent of global searches on Skyscanner, the travel marketplace identified an opportunity to expand on its popular flight booking services and meet growing traveller demands for trip inspiration and travel options within their own countries.

Skyscanner wanted to deliver an end-to-end road trip planner with tailored recommendations for everything from where to stay to what to see, do, enjoy, and experience.

The company turned to Inspirock to leverage its powerful algorithms and unparalleled reach in over 80,000 destinations worldwide, which enable personalised itineraries for travellers based on their unique interests, desired destination and trip duration, time of year, and other key factors.

Paul Cumins, head of car hire at Skyscanner, said: “As travel starts to return, people are yearning to explore new places and favourite destinations once again.

“While we are already seeing air travel pick up more momentum, many travellers are opting for driving holidays, reviving the adventurous spirit of the road trip and discovering (or rediscovering) places closer to home.”

Road Trips is currently live as a beta and available on the Skyscanner platform in five countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Ireland.

Anoop Goyal, chief executive of Inspirock, said: “We’re proud to deliver technology to help Skyscanner strategically expand its offerings, and meet the real needs and demands of today’s savvy travellers.

“Skyscanner has always helped travellers easily find the best prices and trip options to suit their travel needs, and now together, we’ve created the ultimate tool for personalised road trips.

“Travellers today seek more than just the logistics of where to stay and the best route to get from A to B and B to C — they want to make the most of their precious holiday time by maximising their enjoyment of activities and experiences along the way, and that are tailored to them.”