路路行：这样的欧洲环线产品　或许是你未曾见过的创新

【环球旅讯 曾宪天】欧洲这块土地面积为1018万平方公里，只比中国大那么一些，却分布着48个独立国家。其实不妨看一眼地图，对于欧洲“碎片化”的感觉能更为直观一些。

所以试想一下，无论“新手老手”，想要在欧洲自由行，前期势必需要做大量的攻略和准备。而这其中，区域间的交通以及抵达不同目的地之后的住宿，又是旅程需要解决的关键问题。

或许有人会说，自驾游可以解决交通问题。其实且不论中国驾照在欧洲国家的适用程度，欧洲各国的道路规划、路况环境、路标识别、语言复杂等等方面，都会对自驾游带来不小的麻烦。

对于这些痛点，今年9月举办的环球旅讯峰会中，我行集团（由我趣旅行和路路行合并而来）CEO江瀚悦（Jon Jiang）展示了一款名为路路行HOHO-EU欧洲旅行小助手（下称小助手）的旅游预订工具。

江瀚悦在2017环球旅讯峰会中展示HOHO-EU

简单来说，路路行将欧洲市场中原有的巴士环线游产品进行了整合，并在前端运用了地图+线路的简洁视图来呈现。不过，工具背后有着怎样的产品逻辑，到底提供了怎样的商业价值，路路行又会按照怎样的路径来进一步发展这款工具？

在环球旅讯的专访中，江瀚悦更为详尽地阐述了这些问题的答案。

资源商做不了　用户又需要的　我们来！

江瀚悦表示，目的地参团一直是路路行着重发展的业务产品。随着用户需求越来越碎片化和多元化，路路行也在拓展不同品类的产品以满足用户需求。不过他也坦言，以往路路行更多的是遵循传统电商的模式，即将上游资源商的产品，通过平台开放给下游C端用户来预订。

“小助手工具希望实现的目标是，让用户不自驾也能自由行。” 江瀚悦说，行业的发展趋势，要求OTA要更加注重服务和价值，这也意味着需要投入更多的资源来提升用户体验。而将交通产品与目的地体验产品相结合的小助手工具，便是路路行在这方面做出的尝试。

其实在欧洲，自驾游存在着不小的门槛，也并不意味着自驾了，就能更加便利地游玩。例如从伦敦到巴黎，不仅路牌语言、形式会变，连道路靠左还是靠右行驶都会发生变化，用户需要快速适应存在难度。

又比如在意大利，不仅有很多狭窄的道路，当地人开车的风格也多为“横冲直撞”型，即便有着长期海外生活经验的江瀚悦，也曾差点在意大利自驾时发生车祸。所以他也感慨称，特别是在意大利，十分不推荐用户选择自驾游的方式。

而在自驾方式之外，其实还有廉航，以及火车、巴士、公交、河轮等地面交通工具供用户选择，这一领域也有不少OTA和创业公司进行着探索，但似乎目前仍集中在单纯提供预订的阶段。

另外，这些交通工具分别有着不同的优缺点。例如廉航的航线限制，可能并不支持用户在数个临近国家之间游玩的需求；火车线路多，但很多地方是上车后再检票，错买、漏买或者坐到非指定车厢，都有可能面临麻烦，甚至是罚款，存在一定的“雷区”。所以自由行用户在选择这些交通工具出行前，详细查阅各种注意事项、攻略建议也是必不可少的“功课”了。

其实欧洲目的地资源商们，一直在提供一种巴士环线游的产品，这时候就体现了其独有的价值。这种环线产品属于目的地参团的性质，用户在选择好行程并预订付款后，在约定日期和地点集合开始行程即可。交通、住宿全都不需要用户自己操心，全程也有导游陪同，一定程度上解决了欧洲自由行用户，由于信息不对称所带来的旅游痛点。

但不可忽略的是，这种巴士环线游产品，本身的预订门槛、普及知名度都存在一定的问题，即没有更好地触达用户。“通过技术，让用户与资源商距离更近，才能体现路路行的价值。”江瀚悦表示，一边是希望提升用户体验，推广产品的资源商，另一边是寻求合适游玩方式的自由行用户，推动了小助手工具的诞生。

价值和意义　应该是用技术化繁为简

环球旅讯发现，无论是OTA还是一些创业公司，都能提供欧洲当地的地铁、公交等市内交通产品预订，例如携程、GoEuro、Waynaut等。但需要区分清楚的是，这与小助手工具提供的城市、国家间的联动交通是完全不同的概念。

“欧洲自由行的用户，大多数还是希望多看一些地方。”对此江瀚悦认为，如果选择某个城市的深度游玩，自然会选择市内交通产品，但数个城市乃至国家之间的串联游玩，一定需要联动交通的产品来满足需求。

言归正传，小助手工具的技术和价值究竟体现在哪里？

“环线产品虽好，但传统的预订方式并不便利。” 江瀚悦介绍称，环线产品有很多细节规则，传统的用户预订流程较为复杂。比如说换线城市、时间的不同如何处理，上车下车地点有哪些规则需要注意等等，再加上不同资源商之间，处理方式又各不相同，用户很容易在预订中出现错漏。

另一方面，用户在应对各种规则、条件的限制下，自己来做行程规划也是比较困难的，即便是一些专业的旅行顾问，也需要花很多时间来完成合理的规划。不仅如此，还要考虑到时间、地点、行程的调整和更改，以及反复确认等工作的时间成本。

HOHO-EU欧洲旅行小助手工具界面

“我们在做的事情，就是理解这些规则，再用技术的方式化繁为简，最终展示给用户。”江瀚悦称，路路行的小助手工具其实是将不同资源商提供的产品、线路、规则等元素，通过技术语言抽象成一个个结构化的数据模型，通过相应的技术算法加以整合，最终以地图线路的显示推向用户。

这个不难理解。路路行通过技术手段，将以往用户在预订中自己都很难表达清楚的模糊需求点，进行了更为直观和系统化的梳理，用户只需要按照自己的需求进行线路选择、搭配即可。

而对于资源商来说，相比于传统预订渠道，需要投入大量人力与用户进行反复沟通确认，从小助手工具而来的订单，用户的所有需求信息、线路规划都一目了然，自然大大提升了承接和服务的效率。

有一点值得一提的是，环球旅讯在对小助手工具的测试中发现，某些地点会出现无法切换至对应路线的情况，对此江瀚悦表示，并不是出现了BUG，其实恰恰是这款工具的价值之一。

具体来看，路路行在前期构建时，就已经对海量的线路产品进行了精简筛选的处理，这可以提升用户与资源商之间的沟通效率。所以，无法换线的情况出现时，其实也就意味着小助手工具背后提供服务的资源商无法承接这样的线路规则和玩法，这也是“化繁为简”的一种体现。

“相比传统预订方式，小助手工具的整个流程下来，效率可以提升75%以上。”这样看来，江瀚悦对于小助手工具运用技术“化繁为简”的阐述，似乎还颇为精确。

业绩可以证明　这次创新选对了方向

小助手工具在理论方面的设想确实具有一定的创新意义，那么实际应用是否能支撑其整套产品理念和逻辑？

据了解，小助手工具上线于今年年初，虽然目前仅仅嵌入了PC官网页面，但月流水仍然保持着良好的增势。江瀚悦也表示，移动端的展示方式会与PC官网有所区别，目前还在研发完善中。预计2018年上半年，小助手工具可以完全应用至路路行的App、H5、微信等移动端口。

路路行方面提供的小助手工具月流水数据

江瀚悦介绍称，每年前往欧洲的中国游客大约在300~400万人次之间，虽然目前跟团游是主流，但自由行毫无疑问是未来的发展趋势。另一方面，小助手工具所对应的用户群体，还有一部分是学习、生活在欧洲的华人，所以市场前景较为乐观。

“受限于资源商的信息化水平和技术开放程度，目前我们只完成了50%左右的技术对接。”江瀚悦表示，虽然目前是机器+人工的方式在处理订单，但路路行的技术团队有足够的能力完善系统，促进更多的技术对接。另一方面，路路行也会帮助更多有相应旅游资源的合作商，设计和打造这一品类的产品。

其实关于创新，还有一点不得不提的是，小助手工具提出了“离团”的概念，这是传统环线产品所没有的功能。

举例来说，用户可以选择从伦敦出发完成英国环线的游玩，回到伦敦离团后，希望花几天时间深度体验伦敦这个城市，然后再从伦敦（或自行前往巴黎等其他城市），参加另外的环线行程。当然，这只是一种玩法，用户可以根据自己的需求，搭配出不同的时间、路线，这些都可以在前期预订中完成设计，所有行程都会形成在一张订单中，相关预订信息、支付也只需要执行一次即可。

关于竞争壁垒，江瀚悦认为，路路行在欧洲市场深耕多年，采购成本低，虽然极力不赞成价格战的竞争方式，但也有足够的能力来应对。而更为核心的是此前提到的“化繁为简”的技术壁垒，其实从市面上还没有类似工具的诞生，就可以看出其中的难点，这也是路路行的先发优势所在。

下一步是将环线“打散”　探索更多有价值的玩法

“这方面其实我们才刚刚起步，接下来还有很多的创新要做。” 江瀚悦表示，路路行的小助手工具只是在原本的环线产品上做了技术创新，并没有改变产品本身的结构。而接下来，路路行将会做一些更加碎片化的产品尝试。

其实准确来看，路路行对于小助手工具的未来发展路径，有着两种层面的构想。一种是将环线“打散”，往纵深方向去做；另一种是将模式快速复制，扩张至更多地区，这可以看作是横向的发展。

先从纵深方向来说。前文提到，某些线路的切换是因为资源商无法提供相应的服务，对此路路行会根据运营过程中收集到的用户数据，帮助资源商增减、设计线路产品，以求更加符合用户需求。

另外，再回顾一下刚刚提到的一个场景，用户或许会产生在某个感兴趣的城市“离团”，深度体验后再继续展开环线行程。那么，如果路路行能提供相应的单一城市目的地深度游产品，通过大数据等技术，在恰当的时机推送给用户，不失为一个很好的产品补充方向。

这就需要对接更多类型的资源供应商，对此江瀚悦称，目前路路行的底层技术已经搭建完毕，资源商的对接工作以及未来产品的丰富完善，更多的只是时间问题。

横向发展方面，环线游产品或许更适合欧洲，但放到北美、澳新市场中就未必适用。所以江瀚悦介绍称，路路行在扩张其他大洲市场的计划中，并不会“生搬硬套”，盲目地复制整套工具产品的模式，而是根据市场特性，灵活应用这一整套理念和逻辑。

其实在环球旅讯看来，路路行在小助手工具的研发和市场运营中，有着十分清晰的思路，这些都是值得业者思考和借鉴的地方。

大致可以这样归纳。路路行发现了用户痛点；正好一款传统产品能弥补这一痛点；通过技术附能，以这款产品为基础，为上游供应商和下游C端用户创造更有效率的交易流程；在市场运营中又发现了用户新的痛点，有针对性地开发相匹配的产品；最后将整套逻辑应用到不同市场。

很显然，价格战过去后，“终于可以静下心来做产品”似乎成了行业的共识，但到底该怎么做，希望路路行的这个案例能给你些许启发。

[traveldaily has Xiantian]The land area of Europe is 10 million 180 thousand square kilometers, only larger than China, but there are 48 independent countries. In fact, take a look at the map, for European “ fragmentation of &rdquo, the feeling can be more intuitive.

So imagine, no matter &ldquo, novice, veteran, ” want to travel freely in Europe, the early stage is bound to need to do a lot of Raiders and preparation. Among them, the inter regional traffic and the arrival of different destinations after the accommodation, but also the journey to solve the key issues.

Some people may say that self driving can solve the traffic problems. In fact, regardless of the applicability of China's driver's license in European countries, European countries road planning, road conditions, road signs identification, language complex, and so on, will bring no small trouble to self driving tour.

For these pain points, held in September this year, Eyefortravel summit, I group (and I am interested in travel by road and line with CEO (Jon Jiang) Jiang Hanyue) show a road for HOHO-EU European travel assistant (hereinafter referred to as assistant) travel booking tool.

Jiang is showing HOHO-EU at the 2017 global travel Summit

In short, the road will be the European market in the original bus link product integration, and in the front of the map + line concise view to show. However, what kind of product logic does the tool have behind it? What kind of business value does it provide?

In an interview with traveldaily in Jiang Hanyue more detailed exposition of the answers to these questions.

Resource providers can not do the user, we need to come!

Jiang Hanyue said that the destination offered has been focused on the development of the road for business products. As more and more fragmented and diverse user needs, the road line is also expanding products of different categories to meet user needs. However, he also admitted that in the past, the road line is more to follow the traditional mode of electricity providers, the product is about upstream resources providers, through the platform open to the downstream C end users to book.

&ldquo: the small helper tool hopes to achieve the goal of allowing users not to drive themselves freely. ” Jiang Hanyue said, the development trend of the industry, we should pay more attention to the requirements of OTA service and value, this also means that the need to devote more resources to enhance the user experience. The small assistant tool that combines traffic products with destination experience products is an attempt made by road and road company in this respect.

In fact, in Europe, self driving tour there is no small threshold, does not mean that self driving, you can more convenient to play. For example, from London to Paris, not only the sign language, will turn left or right, even the road driving will change, the user needs to quickly adapt to the difficulty.

For example in Italy, not only a lot of narrow roads, local people driving style also is “ &rdquo type, even if the rampage; have a long history of overseas life experience Hanyue Jiang was in Italy, car accident. So he also laments that, especially in Italy, it is very not recommended for users to choose the way to travel by car.

While in the car outside, there are low cost airlines, and train, bus, bus, river wheel ground transportation for users to choose, in this area there are many OTA and entrepreneurial companies are exploring, but it seems that the current is still concentrated in the simple booking stage.

In addition, these vehicles have different advantages and disadvantages. For example, low-cost airlines route restrictions, may not support the user to play in between a number of neighboring countries demand; train lines, but a lot of places on the train and then buy the wrong ticket, buy, leakage or sit to non designated car, are likely to face trouble, even is fine, there is a certain &ldquo &rdquo minefield;. Therefore, the free travel users in the choice of these means of transport before travel, detailed access to various matters needing attention, Raiders, recommendations are also essential “ homework &rdquo.

In fact, European destination resources have been providing a bus link tour products, this time reflects its unique value. This product belongs to the link destination offered, users in the choice of travel booking and payment, at the agreed date and place of collection began to stroke. Traffic, accommodation all do not need users to worry about themselves, the whole tour guide also accompanied, to a certain extent, to solve the European free travel users, due to asymmetric information brought about by the travel pain point.

But what can not be ignored is that the bus ring tour products, its own booking threshold, popularity, visibility, there are certain problems, that is, no better touch the user. “ through the technology, so that users and resource providers closer distance, in order to reflect the value of road road line. ” Jiang Hanyue said, one side is hope to enhance the user experience, product promotion resources, the other side is to seek appropriate ways to enjoy free users, to promote the birth of assistant tools.

Value and significance should be simplified by technology

Global travel inquiry found that, whether it is OTA or some start-up companies, can provide European local subway, bus and other transportation products in the city reservation, such as Ctrip, GoEuro, Waynaut and so on. But what needs to be made clear is that this is a very different concept from the linkage between cities and countries provided by the small assistant tools.

“ most of the users of European free travel, still want to see more places. ” this Hanyue Jiang believes that if a city the depth of play, will choose the traffic in the city, but between a number of city and country series play, must be coordinated traffic products to meet the demand.

Well, what is reflected in where the assistant tool of technology and value?

&ldquo: the loop line is good, but the traditional booking method is not convenient. ” Jiang Hanyue said the link products have many details rules, the traditional user reservation process is more complex. For example, for different time line of the city, how to deal with the bus location, what are the rules need to pay attention to and so on, together with the different resources between treatments, and not the same, it is easy for users to make mistakes in the book.

On the other hand, the user limit in response to a variety of rules and conditions, to make their own travel planning is difficult, even some professional travel consultants also need to spend a lot of time to complete the reasonable planning. Not only that, but also take into account the time, place, itinerary adjustment and change, as well as repeated confirmation of the time cost of work.

HOHO-EU European travel assistant tool interface

“ what we are doing is to understand the rules, to simplify them in a technical way, and finally show them to the user. ” Jiang Hanyue said the road for a small assistant tool is actually different resource providers, product lines, rules and other elements, through the language of abstract data model into a structured, integrate technology through corresponding algorithms, finally to map line display to the user.

This is not difficult to understand. Road line by means of technology, the former user in the book itself it is difficult to express the fuzzy demand points, which is more intuitionistic and systematic combing, users only need to choose the line, collocation can according to their own needs.

As for resource providers, compared to the traditional booking channels, users need to invest a lot of manpower and repeated communication and confirmation, from assistant tool to order, all at a glance all user demand information, route planning, natural greatly enhance the service efficiency and to undertake.

It is worth mentioning is that traveldaily found in the assistant tool test, some sites will appear unable to switch to the corresponding path, this river Hanyue said, is not a BUG, in fact is one of the tools of value.

Specifically, the road line in the early construction of the mass line products have been streamlined screening process, which can enhance the communication efficiency between users and resource providers. So, there can not change line situation, but also means that the service behind the little assistant tools are unable to undertake such resources line rules and gameplay, this is “ to simplify the expression of a &rdquo.

“ compared to the traditional booking methods, the small assistant tool of the entire process down, the efficiency can be increased by more than 75%. ” so, Jiang Hanyue for assistant tools using &ldquo technology; to simplify ” this also seems to be quite accurate.

Performance can prove that the innovation was chosen in the right direction

The idea of small assistant tools in theory is indeed innovative, so can practical applications support the whole set of product concepts and logic?

It is understood that the assistant tool on-line at the beginning of this year, although only embedded in the PC website page, but the water still maintained a good growth momentum. Hanyue Jiang also said that the display of the mobile terminal will differ with the PC official website, currently under development to improve. Expected in the first half of 2018, small assistant tool can be fully applied to the road line of App, H5, WeChat and other mobile ports.

The small assistant tool for road and road offers monthly flow data

Jiang Hanyue said that the annual trip to Europe Chinese tourists about 300~400 million passengers, although currently with the group tour is the mainstream, but free travel is no doubt the future trend of development. On the other hand, the small helper tools corresponding to the user groups, as well as a part of learning and living in Europe, Chinese, so the market outlook is more optimistic.

“ limited by the information level and technology openness of the resource providers, at present we have only completed about 50% of the technical docking. ” Jiang Hanyue said that although there is a machine + artificial way in the processing of orders, but the technical team for the road has sufficient capacity to improve the system, promote the docking technology more. On the other hand, the road and road will also help more partners with corresponding tourism resources, design and build products of this category.

In fact, about innovation, there is also a point to mention is that the small assistant tool proposed “ &rdquo from the concept of the group, which is the traditional loop products do not have the function.

For example, the user can choose from London to complete the play link back to London, England, from the group after a few days, to the depth of experience of the city of London, and then from London (or go to Paris and other city), in addition to participate in the link travel. Of course, this is just a game, the user can according to their own needs, collocation different time, these can be done in the design of early booking, all trips are formed in an order, booking information, pay only need to perform once.

On the barriers to competition, Jiang Hanyue believes that the road for years in the European market, the procurement cost is low, although strongly disapprove of the price war competition, but also have the ability to deal with. But as the core of the previously mentioned “ simplified ” technical barriers, in fact, from the birth of the market does not have similar tools, you can see the difficulties, this is the road for the first mover advantage.

The next step is to link the loop “ break up the ” explore more valuable gameplay

&ldquo, in fact, we are just getting started, and there's a lot more to be done. ” Jiang Hanyue said the road for a small assistant tool is just in the original link products made of technological innovation, and did not change the structure of the product itself. And then, the road will do some more fragmented products try.

In fact, the accurate way, the road line for small assistant tool of the future path of development, there are two levels of conception. One is to loop “ to break ” to go in depth; the other is to copy patterns quickly and expand to more areas; this can be seen as horizontal development.

First, in depth. As mentioned above, some switching line is because resources are unable to provide the corresponding services, this road will according to user data collected in the process of operation, business or help resources design product lines, in order to better meet the needs of users.

In addition, review a scene just mentioned, the user may produce in a city of interest “ &rdquo from the group; after the depth experience, continue to expand the loop trip. Then, if the road line can provide a single city, the destination of deep travel products, through large data and other technologies, at the appropriate time to push the user, can be regarded as a good product supplement direction.

This requires docking more types of suppliers, this Hanyue Jiang said, at present the underlying technology of road line has been set up, and the future of business resources docking products enriched and improved, more just a matter of time.

Horizontal development, the ring may be more suitable for European products, but in North America, Australia and New Zealand market may not apply. So Hanyue Jiang said the road for expansion in other continents market plan, and will not be mechanically “ ”, blindly copy the entire set of tools, but according to the market characteristics, flexible application of this set of concepts and logic.

In fact, in the global travel news seems, Lu Lu in the small assistant tool R & D and market operations, has a very clear idea, these are worth thinking and learning from the industry.

Can be summed up in this way. Lu Lu found the user pain points; just a traditional product can compensate for this pain point; through the technology of energy, with this product as the foundation, create more efficient upstream suppliers and downstream of C end user transaction process; the new user pain points found in the market operation, targeted the development of the matching products; finally the application of logic to different markets.

Obviously, the price war in the past, “ finally can calm down to do product ” seems to become a consensus of the industry, but in the end how to do, I hope the road line of this case can give you some inspiration.