Madrid, January 16, 2018. Logitravel today inaugurated its first Logitravel store, a space of over 500 m², with 17 customer service points and equipped with the latest technology. The aim is to have a pilot brick-and-mortar travel agency that will serve as an innovation hub for the implementation and testing of new technologies in a physical office setting. The opening event was attended by the Spanish Secretary of State for Tourism, Matilde Pastora Asian González; the Argentine Minister of Tourism, Gustavo Santos; and the President of the Logitravel Group, Ovidio Andrés, and the CEO of the Logitravel Group, Tomeu Bennasar.
Innovation in tourism
‘When we talk about innovation, we always think about blockchain, chatbots, artificial intelligence… And that's all well and good, we need to invest in implementing these new technologies, but we also need to innovate a lot in customer service, both in the telephone channel and in person,' says Tomeu Bennasar.
'This store is a laboratory for the Logitravel Group, which will allow us to get closer to the consumer and experience firsthand their feelings during the moment of inspiration, search, and booking of a trip right here in the store. We hope to collect, analyze, process, and then transfer all this information to the more than 2,500 physical points of sale we already work with under our Traveltool brand,' explains the CEO of the Logitravel Group.
Another key concept is collaboration. Grupo Logitravel wants this online store to be a platform for sharing experiences and content with service providers, tourism offices, and tourism boards. "We need to generate content that customers use and value. This store should be a hub of innovation for all stakeholders in the sector, showcasing what works and what doesn't. We are already available to share experiences and results from all our initiatives, and if anyone has a new idea and wants to experiment, they can count on us," adds Carlos García, Marketing and Advertising Director of Grupo Logitravel.
The retail store
The Logitravel Group's first physical agency comprises two distinct spaces: one dedicated entirely to cruises, and the other to destinations. Each space features a display window equipped with a 100-inch LG high-definition screen, and the 17 customer service stations are divided into 8 in the cruise area and 9 in the destinations area, all with a 55-inch LG screen. The store also includes a corridor and six decorative columns connecting the two spaces, totaling over 500 square metersof exhibition space.
The store's main feature is that it's 100% digital, with no printed brochures or paper documentation. Vodafone is the partner that installed the technological infrastructure enabling the store's digitalization. Among these elements, the digital signage stands out, consisting of 17 LG screens in the service kiosks and two video walls whose content can be managed from the cloud via a single point, allowing for quick and easy changes through the Vodafone app. The digital signage displays relevant content to visitors, related to the services they wish to subscribe to, as well as inspiring images from around the world. In addition, visitors can enjoy high-speed Wi-Fi throughout the entire space.
Each travel agent has a 27-inch touchscreen laptop from which all operations are conducted. They also have the option to display on the 55-inch screen in each booth both the actions they are performing on their monitor and videos of the destination or cruise of interest.
Customer Service Team
In the words of Tomeu Bennasar, CEO of Grupo Logitravel, "We have a highly specialized customer service team, which we also make available to our clients in person. What we aim to do with this store is to showcase this level of professionalism to the customer and reinforce our brand image as a specialist in cruises, packages, and tours.".
Travel agents have an additional tool at their store: virtual reality. Thanks to VR headsets, travelers can visit the cabin they want to book, the main facilities on a ship, or the most popular tourist attractions in a destination.
The store has also been equipped with a complete sensory package that creates an inspiring atmosphere with themed music and special scents reminiscent of different destinations, including a cruise. For example, you can smell tropical rainforests, oriental countries, the sea, and more.
Logitravel Store is conceived as a space for inspiration and sensory experience, where the agency not only showcases its extensive product portfolio but also plans to hold talks, discussions, cocktail parties and film screenings together with collaborators and tourism offices.
In addition to the Logitravel store, one of the Kinépolis cinemas also bears the agency's name. Specifically, screen 13 has been the Logitravel screen since January 2018.
Located in Madrid, within the Kinépolis Ciudad de la Imagen shopping center, Logitravel's first physical agency aims to reach the 2 million annual visitors to the entertainment complex. Kinépolis Ciudad de la Imagen is one of Madrid's most iconic landmarks. With 25 cinemas and over 9,200 seats, it recently received a Guinness World Record for the cinema complex with the largest number of seats. Its theaters are equipped with the latest technological innovations in image and sound, all featuring 4K screens and Spain's first 4DX theater, a four-dimensional system that incorporates sensory effects such as wind, rain, noise, fog, scents, and light, combined with seat movement. Logitravel joins Kinépolis's leisure offerings in the travel and vacation sector.
