Reimagining group travel: A unified digital experience

The Global Touring digital transformation reimagined the online experience for a portfolio of premium travel brands, including Topdeck, Back-Roads Touring and Grasshopper Adventures. The goal was to create a modern, scalable digital ecosystem that would inspire travellers, simplify trip planning and provide a strong foundation for future growth across the group. The project began with a series of collaborative workshops designed to immerse the team in each brand's heritage, customer needs and future ambitions. Extensive user research identified opportunities to improve the customer journey, particularly within the booking process, while ensuring accessibility and inclusivity were embedded throughout the experience. Customer testing revealed a strong appetite for more visual and interactive ways to explore tours. In response, the team introduced engaging features including interactive itineraries and dynamic maps, enabling travellers to better understand destinations, routes and experiences before booking. These enhancements transformed the inspiration and planning stages, making it easier for customers to discover the right adventure for them. Inclusivity was a key consideration throughout the redesign. Working within the constraints of a third-party room allocation system, the booking experience was carefully reimagined to collect essential traveller information in a respectful and welcoming way. This ensured customers could confidently communicate their preferences and be matched with accommodation arrangements that suited their individual comfort levels. Behind the scenes, multiple brand websites were unified onto a single Drupal platform, creating a shared foundation that supports each brand's unique identity while improving operational efficiency and enabling faster innovation. The API-first architecture also provides the flexibility to support future digital channels and evolving customer needs.