Field Guides
How intelligent systems speed up travel program development
Designing a new travel program with a DMC used to take weeks of emails, spreadsheets, and revisions. We use intelligent systems to make program development fast and collaborative.
Instead of starting from scratch, our AI-powered tools such as Glidermap create smart first drafts of itineraries and briefs. Programs can then be quickly reformatted into sales proposals, supplier guides, or training materials which cuts a ton of hours. These systems also handle repetitive research and logistics, freeing DMCs to focus on adding local knowledge, cultural nuance, and creativity. Collaboration becomes smoother too, and itineraries can be adjusted in real time, with scenarios modeled rapidly.
The result is development cycles shrinking from weeks to days, improved systems, and teams have more time to design authentic, impactful experiences. This is all set up so the team can spend more time on human connection.
What is a program audit?
A program audit is your GPS for levelling up travel experiences. It’s a strategic deep dive into your current trip portfolio, assessing guest and visitor impact, community value, sustainability, and brand alignment. Our audit process blends human insight with ethical AI (to amplify human intelligence, not replace it):
Review of trip designs, destination mix, and flow
Team and partner interviews
Analysis of guest feedback, financials, and competitive positioning
AI-powered pattern spotting, insight surfacing, and synthesis across programs
Applying purpose-built Gliderfox criteria to assess each experience
Why it’s so useful: The outcome is a rich, data-backed snapshot of your top performers, underused gems, and high-impact opportunities with clear recommendations for refining, reimagining, and future-proofing your offerings.
Deep thoughts: AI streamlining operations
Running a small travel operation often means juggling bookings, supplier communications, and many, many spreadsheets. Ethical AI tools can handle repetitive tasks, like filtering supplier options through a brand’s values framework, automating routine communications, or tracking compliance.
By embedding a company’s mission and ethical priorities into AI workflows, operators can make faster, smarter decisions without compromising their principles.
Free experience audit checklist
Want to see where your tourism experiences stand?
Download our free experience audit checklist to evaluate your current offerings against proven criteria and spot quick wins for guest satisfaction, community benefit, and sustainability.
Not all travel experiences are created equal.
We’ve seen how thoughtful design can shift so much:
A day spent on the land with a local knowledge keeper can renew cultural pride and deepen visitor respect.
A reimagined hiking route can draw travelers away from overcrowded trails and into lesser-known corners, spreading economic benefit and easing environmental pressure.
A facilitated workshop can align a tourism team on purpose, voice, and vision, leading to a clear plan for the season ahead.
These are outcomes of deliberate experience design, the most powerful tool we’ve found to improve tourism.
Proven impact we’ve witnessed:
An Arctic expedition operator restructured programs and guest satisfaction and spend increased.
A destination mapped what the community wanted to share and unlocked new stories and new income.
A nature tour added interpretation and reflection and travelers left changed, sharing their experiences for months after.