On an afternoon, Mr. Zhang who is in his sixties took out his mobile phone and logged onto a special version of a travel app for elderly users in order to book tourist products on his own. Before, he had to ask his daughter for help.

(Photo/CFP)

The elderly-friendly version of the app in the question was developed by a Shanghai-based company. The case of smart tourism for the silver generation has been selected among the best practices across China.

(Left: a screenshot of the travel app’s normal version; Right: the elderly-friendly version)

To make it more convenient for elderly people to use, the special version of the app features simplified layout and bigger character fonts. Cost-effective products with positive user reviews are displayed on the page in priority. Users can also call a helpline if they want help.

According to Ctrip, after the launch of the app’s elderly-friendly version, it has seen an obvious increase of elderly users. As of October 2021, the number of registered users at 60 years old and above increased by 22% year-on-year, and the overall order volume increased by 37%, of which group tour orders rose by nearly 60%.