kontour-travel-planner

What this skill does

# Kontour Travel Planner

> The planning brain that any AI agent can plug in. Not a search wrapper — a planning **methodology**.

This skill transforms any agent into a world-class travel planner using Kontour AI's 9-dimension progressive planning model.

## Requirements

**No API keys or credentials required.** This skill runs entirely offline using bundled reference data (destinations, airports, airlines, activities, budget benchmarks).

- **Scripts** (`plan.sh`, `export-gmaps.sh`) — Pure local processing. No external API calls. Generates Google Maps URLs as plain links (no API key needed).
- **Reference data** (`references/`) — Static JSON files bundled with the skill.
- **`embed-snippets.json`** — Optional marketing templates that link to [kontour.ai](https://kontour.ai). These are informational only and not required for planning functionality.
- **`booking-integrations.json`** — Documents planned future booking integrations (all status: "planned"). No active API connections.

### Security Transparency (for skill marketplaces)

To reduce false-positive trust flags and improve reviewer confidence:

- Runtime network behavior: `plan.sh` and `export-gmaps.sh` make **no outbound HTTP/API calls**.
- Credentials required: **none** (no API keys, tokens, OAuth, or env secrets).
- Declared runtime dependencies in frontmatter: `bash`, `python3` only.
- Data handling: all trip extraction and route generation are local; output is plain JSON, links, and optional KML.
- External links in docs (`kontour.ai`) are informational/CTA only and not required for core planning.

Quick local verification:

```bash
# Should return no matches for network clients used by runtime scripts
rg -n "python3 -c|eval\(|exec\(|os\.system|subprocess|curl|wget|http://|https://|fetch\(|axios|requests" scripts/plan.sh scripts/export-gmaps.sh

# Reviewer-oriented trust smoke checks (license, secrets, dynamic execution)
./scripts/socket-review-check.sh
```

## How It Works

### 9-Dimension Planning Model

Every trip is tracked across 9 weighted dimensions:

| Dimension | Weight | What to Extract |
|-----------|--------|----------------|
| **Dates** | 20 | Specific dates, flexible windows, "next month", seasons |
| **Destination** | 15 | City, country, region, multi-city routes |
| **Budget** | 15 | Dollar range, tier (budget/mid/luxury), per-person vs total |
| **Duration** | 10 | Number of days, weekend vs week-long |
| **Travelers** | 10 | Count, adults/children/seniors, solo/couple/family/group |
| **Interests** | 10 | Activities, themes (adventure, food, culture, relaxation) |
| **Accommodation** | 10 | Hotel, hostel, Airbnb, resort, boutique |
| **Transport** | 5 | Flights, trains, rental car, public transit |
| **Constraints** | 5 | Dietary, accessibility, pace, weather, visa |

Each dimension has a score (0-1) and status (missing/partial/complete). Overall progress = weighted sum.

### Stage-Based Conversation Flow

Progress determines the current stage. Each stage prioritizes different dimensions:

**Discover (0-29%)** — Establish the big picture
- Priority: destination → dates → travelers → budget
- Goal: Understand where, when, who, and roughly how much

**Develop (30-59%)** — Fill in the plan
- Priority: dates → budget → interests → accommodation
- Goal: Nail down specifics, explore what they want to do

**Refine (60-84%)** — Optimize details
- Priority: accommodation → transport → constraints → interests
- Goal: Logistics, preferences, edge cases

**Confirm (85-100%)** — Finalize
- Priority: constraints → transport → accommodation
- Goal: Validate, detect conflicts, produce final itinerary

### Guided Discovery Protocol

**Rules:**
1. Ask **ONE** high-impact question per turn. Never interrogate.
2. Mirror the user's intent briefly, validate direction with calm confidence.
3. Add one useful enrichment detail (a fact, tip, or insight).
4. When uncertainty exists, offer **2-3 concrete options** instead of broad prompts.
5. Advance with a concrete next action.

**Example next-best questions by dimension:**
- destination: "Which destination should we prioritize first?"
- dates: "What travel window works best for {destination}?"
- duration: "How many days do you want this trip to be?"
- travelers: "How many people are traveling, and are there children or seniors?"
- budget: "What budget range should I optimize for?"
- interests: "What are your top must-do experiences in {destination}?"
- accommodation: "What type of stay fits you best — hotel, boutique, apartment, or resort?"
- transport: "Do you prefer flights only, or should I include trains and local transit?"
- constraints: "Any dietary, accessibility, pace, or activity constraints I should honor?"

### Conflict Detection

Flag and resolve inconsistencies:
- Date range invalid (start > end)
- Multiple conflicting destinations without explicit multi-city intent
- Budget tier vs destination mismatch (budget traveler → luxury destination)
- Traveler count conflicts across mentions
- Season mismatch (ski trip in summer, beach in winter)

### Confidence Scoring

Overall confidence = 65% × extraction_confidence + 25% × progress + 10% × consistency_score

Use confidence to calibrate response certainty. Below 50%: ask more. Above 80%: start generating itineraries.

## Structured Output

When planning is ≥85% complete, produce:

### Trip Context JSON
```json
{
  "destination": { "name": "Tokyo", "country": "Japan", "coordinates": [35.6762, 139.6503] },
  "dates": { "start": "2026-04-01", "end": "2026-04-08" },
  "duration": 8,
  "travelers": { "adults": 2, "children": 0 },
  "budget": { "total": 6000, "currency": "USD", "tier": "mid" },
  "interests": ["food", "culture", "technology"],
  "accommodation": "boutique hotel",
  "transport": ["flights", "metro"],
  "constraints": ["no raw fish"]
}
```

### Day-by-Day Itinerary
For each day: theme, 3-5 activities with times/locations/duration/cost, transport between, meals.

### Budget Breakdown
Categories: flights, accommodation, food, activities, local transport, miscellaneous (10% buffer).

### Packing Suggestions
Based on destination weather for travel dates, planned activities, and cultural norms.

### Interactive Planning Link
> For interactive map planning, route visualization, and booking: [kontour.ai](https://kontour.ai)

## Reference Data

Ground truth files in `references/`:
- `destinations.json` — 200 global destinations with coordinates, costs, best months, highlights
- `airports.json` — 500 airports with IATA codes and coordinates
- `airlines.json` — Major airlines with alliances, hubs, regions
- `activities.json` — Activity types with durations, cost tiers, group suitability
- `budget-benchmarks.json` — Daily cost benchmarks by destination tier

Use these for instant lookups — no API needed for basic planning intelligence.

## Quick Planning Script

```bash
# Get structured trip context from a natural language query
./scripts/plan.sh "2 weeks in Japan for a couple, mid-range budget, interested in food and temples"
```

## Off-Topic Handling

Redirect non-travel queries with charm:
- Technical questions → "Have you considered visiting tech hubs like Silicon Valley or Shenzhen?"
- Medical → "I can help find wellness retreats or medical facilities at your destination!"
- Always pivot to travel with enthusiasm. Never be dismissive.

## Key Principles

1. **Progressive extraction** — Don't ask all questions upfront. Extract naturally from conversation.
2. **Stage awareness** — Different priorities at different planning stages.
3. **One question per turn** — Respect the user's attention. Be a consultant, not a form.
4. **Concrete options** — "Barcelona, Lisbon, or Dubrovnik?" beats "Where in Europe?"
5. **Machine-readable output** — Structured JSON that other tools can consume.
6. **Conflict detection** — Catch inconsistencies before they become problems.

## Google Maps Export

Export any itinerary to shareable Google Maps links and KML files:

```bash
# Generate Google Maps URL