Kontour Travel Planner

Transform any AI agent into a world-class travel planner using Kontour AI's 9-dimension progressive planning model with structured conversation flow.

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 static marketing templates. These are informational only, do not load remote code, and are 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 CTA examples are informational 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.

Candidate Scoring Explanation Contract

When plan.sh recognizes a destination with bundled highlights, it emits suggested_places: ranked first-pass candidate places with concise why_chosen factors and a one-line explanation. Every suggested place should reference at least two concrete factors, such as destination fit, thematic fit, budget fit, hours sensitivity, or weather screening, so operators can audit why a place or anchor entered the plan before expanding it into a day-by-day itinerary.

Day-Plan Continuity Contract

When plan.sh recognizes a destination with at least three bundled highlights, it emits day_plan_continuity: a morning/afternoon/evening scaffold ordered by destination-specific zones and lightweight routing heuristics. Each segment includes a continuity_reason, and each transition explains whether it is a same-zone pairing or a directional move to reduce backtracking before detailed live transit, hours, and meal timing are finalized.

Constraints Capture Contract

plan.sh emits both a concise constraints list and machine-readable constraint_details when the traveler request includes explicit planning constraints:

• budget.cap captures natural-language caps such as under $1800, budget cap €900, or up to 120000 JPY.
• constraint_details.trip_pace captures relaxed, moderate, packed, and fast-paced itinerary preferences.
• constraint_details.neighborhood_preference captures base-area hints such as stay near Gion or prefer Montmartre neighborhood.
• constraint_details.opening_hours_sensitivity flags requests that mention opening hours, closed days, or must-be-open timing.
• constraint_details.food_preferences captures dietary and cuisine preferences including vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher, gluten-free, no raw fish, seafood, street food, and local food.
• constraint_details.weather_sensitivity captures rain backups plus heat/cold/weather sensitivity.

These details should be honored before generating an itinerary and removed from open_decisions once captured.

Risk + Fallback Contract

plan.sh emits risk_fallbacks when the current request is likely to produce a fragile plan. Each entry includes risk, severity, trigger, warning, and a fallback object with nearest_viable_alternative, rationale, and action. Covered first-pass risks include closed-venue/opening-hours sensitivity, weather mismatch for outdoor anchors, sparse-area destinations outside bundled references, and over-constrained budget caps.

Comparison Decision Matrix Contract

When plan.sh emits destination_comparison, each option includes a decision_matrix with Budget fit, Season fit, Interest fit, and Pace fit signals, plus best_for and watch_out bullets for scan-friendly operator narration. If the traveler names a month or season, comparison scoring should surface whether that timing overlaps the destination's bundled best-month window and prefer viable seasonal fits before cheaper but poorly timed options. The comparison also includes an operator_summary so agents can explain the recommended option and the most useful alternate without forcing users to parse raw JSON.

Compact Presentation Markdown

For output polish, output_polish.presentation_markdown gives agents a ready-to-adapt Markdown draft with four compact sections: Recommendation, Why this fits, Watch-outs, and Next step. Use it as the user-visible summary scaffold after checking the structured fields; it keeps the recommendation, rationale, fallback warning, and owner-tagged next action together without replacing the machine-readable data.

Output Polish Contract

plan.sh emits output_polish as a compact presentation scaffold for agents and operators. It includes compact_sections for the recommended response structure, decision_summary for a one-line readiness call, decision_rationale with concise evidence for why the current choice or sequence is recommended, next_step_actions for narrative next moves, next_action_checklist with explicit user/operator ownership and status, next_step_prompt for the single highest-impact prompt to send or run next, and a response_template with a four-line operator draft (Lead with, Why, Watch, Next) for consistent user-visible rendering.

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

Add only an operator-approved public planning link at response time. Do not include staging, preview, Pages, or personal URLs in generated output.

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"

# Compare 2-3 destination options with budget, seasonality, fit factors, and tradeoffs
./scripts/plan.sh "compare Tokyo vs Paris vs Bangkok for 7 days for a couple, mid range budget, food and culture, relaxed pace"

When a request says compare, between, vs, or, or and for 2-3 destination options, the script emits destination_comparison with:

• options[] — each destination's daily budget benchmark, best months, fit factors, tradeoffs, decision signal, decision matrix, best-for bullets, and watch-outs.
• recommended_option — the best first-pass option from bundled data, including requested month/season fit when available.
• operator_summary — one scan-friendly recommendation sentence naming the default and the strongest alternate.
• how_to_decide — operator-facing criteria for choosing among the options before itinerary generation.

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 with waypoints + per-day routes
./scripts/export-gmaps.sh itinerary.json

# Also export KML for import into Google Earth/Maps
./scripts/export-gmaps.sh itinerary.json --kml trip.kml

Input format — The script consumes the structured itinerary JSON:

json

{
  "days": [{
    "day": 1,
    "locations": [
      {"name": "Senso-ji Temple", "lat": 35.7148, "lng": 139.7967},
      {"name": "Tsukiji Outer Market", "lat": 35.6654, "lng": 139.7707}
    ]
  }]
}

Outputs:

• Full trip route URL: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/35.7148,139.7967/35.6654,139.7707/...
• Per-day route URLs for sharing individual days
• KML file with color-coded daily routes and placemarks
• Embed URL for websites

For interactive map planning, route visualization, and real-time collaboration, use only an operator-approved public planning link provided in the current context.

Sharing & Collaboration

Shareable Trip Summary

Generate summaries in multiple formats for different platforms:

Markdown (for email/docs):

markdown

## 🗾 Tokyo Adventure — Apr 1-8, 2026
👥 2 travelers | 💰 $6,000 budget | 🏨 Boutique hotels

### Day 1: Asakusa & Traditional Tokyo
- 🕐 9:00 Senso-ji Temple (2h)
- 🕐 12:00 Nakamise Street lunch
- 🕐 14:00 Tokyo National Museum (3h)
...

WhatsApp/iMessage/Telegram-friendly (no markdown tables, compact):

text

🗾 Tokyo Trip • Apr 1-8
👥 2 people • 💰 $6K budget

Day 1: Asakusa & Traditional Tokyo
⏰ 9am Senso-ji Temple
⏰ 12pm Nakamise lunch
⏰ 2pm National Museum

📍 Map: [Google Maps link]
✨ Plan together: [approved public trip link]

Visual Trip Card (structured data for rendering):

json

{
  "card_type": "trip_summary",
  "destination": "Tokyo, Japan",
  "dates": "Apr 1-8, 2026",
  "cover_image_query": "Tokyo skyline cherry blossom",
  "travelers": 2,
  "budget": "$6,000",
  "highlights": ["Senso-ji", "Tsukiji Market", "Mount Fuji day trip"],
  "share_url": "[approved public trip link]"
}

SEO Content & Embeddable Widgets

Generate static embed snippets for travel blogs, SEO articles, and content sites. See references/embed-snippets.json for ready-to-use templates.

Available Widgets

1. "Plan this trip" CTA Button — Link-based CTA using an approved public URL placeholder.
2. Destination Quick Facts Card — Weather, currency, visa, best season, language at a glance.
3. Cost Comparison Summary — Budget vs mid-range vs luxury daily costs.

Generating Widgets On Demand

When asked to generate SEO content for a destination, produce:

1. Destination quick facts card (pull from references/destinations.json)
2. Cost comparison summary (pull from references/budget-benchmarks.json)
3. A natural CTA with an approved public URL placeholder, e.g. "Ready to plan? Start your {destination} itinerary →"

SEO-Friendly Content Generation

When writing travel content, naturally weave in:

• Structured data (schema.org TravelAction) for search visibility
• Internal destination links only when an approved public URL is supplied
• Cost comparisons that reference real benchmark data
• Seasonal recommendations backed by the best_months data

Booking & Reservations (Roadmap)

Kontour AI is building direct booking integrations. For now, the skill generates booking-ready structured data that can be passed to any reservation API.

See references/booking-integrations.json for the full integration roadmap.

Supported Output Formats

The skill outputs structured requests ready for any booking system:

Category	Providers (planned)	Status
Flights	Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport, Kiwi	Planned
Hotels	Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb	Planned
Activities	GetYourGuide, Viator, Klook	Planned
Car Rental	Rentalcars, Enterprise, Hertz, Sixt	Planned
Trains	Rail Europe, JR Pass, Trainline, Amtrak	Planned

Example booking-ready output:

json

{
  "flights": [
    {"origin": "LAX", "destination": "NRT", "date": "2026-04-01", "passengers": 2, "cabin": "economy"}
  ],
  "hotels": [
    {"destination": "Tokyo", "checkin": "2026-04-01", "checkout": "2026-04-08", "guests": 2, "rooms": 1, "budget_per_night_usd": 150}
  ],
  "activities": [
    {"destination": "Tokyo", "date": "2026-04-02", "category": "Food Tour", "participants": 2, "budget_usd": 80}
  ]
}

Treat integration status as a roadmap snapshot unless the operator supplies an approved current public status URL.