According to the discussion guide, here are the insights obtained from the interviews (or casual chats because they seemed relatively informal).
INTERVIEWEE N
22, F, University Student
N prefers free and easy traveling more, as it provides the freedom over the places to go and how much time spent at each place.
N went to South Korea (free and easy) for her latest trip with her friends for 14 days. This was her process of getting ready for her most recent trip.
** PAIN POINT DURING PLANNING **
Since most people drive on their own in Jeju, hiring a private driver on Google was challenging (since in Korea they mainly use Naver, which operates in Korean).
[insight from her experience]
Primary search engine platforms/applications that are common in our country may differ in other countries. The difference in language used may also become an issue when one navigates through these platforms.
** PAIN POINTS/EXPERIENCES IN KOREA **
01Used toilet papers are thrown into a bin, rather than flushed.
- N sounded confused when talking about this culture. “Maybe their toilet system will clog up? Though Singapore can flush though.. I don’t know.”
- “Wouldn’t it stink up the toilet?” was her main concern.
- She revealed that because her friends and she are not used to this culture, they ignored the sign and flushed their used toilet papers down.
[insight from her experience]
Even though most travelers try their best to accommodate a foreign country’s culture, not everyone can accept certain aspects of the culture. Sometimes a deeper understanding is required before travelers are willing to follow the cultures in a foreign country.
02 Noraebang (Korean karaoke)
N speaks English and Mandarin Chinese. She did not learn much Korean before traveling there, only the basic phrases from her Korean friend, like “Can you help us take a picture together?”
- N was dependent on their Korean friend when it comes to translating, often feeling a sense of confusion “when my Korean friend is not there to translate.”
- Google translations were proven not accurate when she used it to order “less sweet coffee”, but her coffee turned out sweet still. N has doubts if the barista understood what was translated.
- By the end of the trip, the language barrier lessens as N picks up the language more by going to more karaoke (where the lyrics are in hangul).
- N reveals to be comfortable in a Korean-speaking community, since “the language is nice to hear”. She wouldn’t mind learning the language, since she still wants to return one day.
[insight from her experience]
It’ll take time to pick up another language and one of the best ways to do it is through exposure to the language. Translators are important, be it human or digital, notably for their ability to converse with locals, which in turn affects the traveler’s confidence.
03 Getting a taxi through Kakao T (their ride-hailing app) in Korea is difficult.
- Due to the usual hailing-taxi culture N is exposed to, she assumed it was easy to get a taxi in Korea. “Only after you go there, and it’s like oh shit, why is it so hard to get a taxi one.”
- Even on the app, N was also unsure if they were “keying the right stuff since the language on the app is Korean”.
- N mostly felt confused and frustrated when they can’t book a cab, hence they resort to “flagging down a cab” which proved to be equally tedious.
- For 4 travelers + 4 luggage, they needed 2 taxis, since they are “smaller than usual”. N considers them “lucky” as they managed to do so, just in time for their flight.
[insight from her experience]
Whatever transport is convenient in one’s country can be foreign to another country, making it frustrating for foreigners to follow through. Language also plays a role in the ease of commuting.
04 People push each other in public transport.
- In a packed transport, people will usually push their way out of the cabin, without saying anything.
- N thinks that Koreans are generally less polite, “especially the elders”.
- N was not used to the aggressiveness in the culture, though many people consider it normal, she thought of it as rude.
[insight from her experience]
Locals in foreign countries have a certain culture and way of life they are accustomed to, be it good or bad from the point of view of a traveler.
** WAYS/TIPS TO IMPROVE EXPERIENCE FOR FUTURE TRIPS **
- Culture is best learned from people that traveled to/lived in a foreign country. (social media is your best friend!)
For N, the best way to learn about a country’s culture is through TikTok, with educational and engaging short videos. With a fast turnover rate and users all over the world, travel content is authentic and kept up to date, making it the “best way to get cultural stuff online”. - Learning common phrases in a foreign language goes a long way.
Studying a foreign language in school can be expensive, but doing it alone can lead to inaccurate outcomes and requires a lot of discipline. To N, “having a list of common phrases you will use, like for ordering food” is a more realistic method of understanding and learning the language. - Travel with an open mind.
We can’t really change how people act, so N suggests mentally preparing and accepting the culture while in a country.
“Learn not to feel offended by it, since its the cultural norm”. - Reading the room (or country’s environment)
“Even if you read (about a country) beforehand, it’s different when you’re there. It’s real there.” It’s crucial to be culturally sensitive and not do anything disrespectful to the locals. Be observant of what locals do, and “try to act like the locals”.
** OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE PRODUCTS/MEDIUM TO IMPROVE TRAVELING EXPERIENCE **
The following aims to uncover opportunities that can be explored for my ongoing project to improve one’s traveling experience.
Below are some suggestions for my project that N has provided.
- A smart app that helps arrange your traveling route
After keying in the list of places you want to go within the country, the app will help plan the route, according to the days you’ll be staying there. This eliminates the stress of planning and keying in the address each time before setting off. - A personalized traveling itinerary
Users can key in their preference (whether nature, urban, museums, etc.), and the app will come up with a personalized itinerary.
It’ll act as a companion during the trip, giving live updates depending on the crowds, weather, and more. - Food recommendation
Providing more suggestions and locations for localized food, rather than commercialized places found easily on search engines.
[Audio recordings of the convo can be found here.]
So, I thought I could fit all 3 convos into 1 post.. But covering insights, pain points and user experience for 1 convo has taken up quite a bit.. So I’ve decided one convo = one post. And I’ll also do a TL;DR post (9.4?)