We are a diverse group of eight innovators brought together by the DEW2026 workshop. Our team name, Team Hamburger, celebrates our unique blend of local Taiwanese talent and international students from Hamburg, Germany. Together, we are combining European efficiency with Taiwanese hospitality to revitalize one of Taiwan’s most historic port cities.

I-The problem

While Keelung is a primary gateway for international cruise ships, the city itself is currently a pass-through destination rather than a real tourism experience. We have identified three core challenges that are holding Keelung back.

1- The ghost tourism effect

First, international cruise tourists often arrive with very little time, significant language barriers, and zero orientation. Fearing they might miss their ship’s departure, they leave Keelung immediately to visit Taipei instead of spending their time and money locally.

2- The daytime engagement gap

Keelung is also famous for its night market, but tourists arriving in the morning find a lack of engaging activities or places to relax during the day. Once they visit Heping Island, there are few clear “next steps” to keep them in the area.

3- A struggling local economy

Moreover, because tourism is concentrated in only a few famous spots, many hidden gems and local stores are struggling due to a lack of exposure. This creates a falling economy for local vendors who have so much culture to offer but no way to reach the modern traveler.

II- The solution: Detour

Redefining the Port Experience through Gamified Exploration

Detour is more than just a travel app, it is a bridge between the international traveler and the heart of Keelung City. By transforming sightseeing into a series of interactive quests, we eliminate the friction of language barriers and the anxiety of navigating an unfamiliar port.

Our application offers a curated selection of routes tailored to different interests and time constraints, ensuring that every visitor, from the time conscious cruise passenger to the curious backpacker, can explore Keelung with absolute confidence.

Quests for a cause: Connecting people and places

1- The challenges: beyond sightseeing

We have transformed traditional tourism into a series of meaningful interactions. Every challenge in our app is designed to solve a specific problem identified in our research.

The “Temple run” challenge (60 Min): This high-engagement route encourages tourists to step inside grand temple gates, such as the City God Temple, breaking the orientation barrier that often keeps visitors on the main roads.

The “Foodie spots” mission: Instead of sticking to familiar international chains, this challenge directs users to authentic local restaurants and cafes. To complete it, users must interact with vendors, made easy by our 6-language translation support.

The “Stairway to the ocean” journey: A moderate 6-hour quest designed to maximize the stay of day trippers, guiding them through nature trails and ocean views that are often missed during short 1-2 hour visits.

2- The QR verification: impact we can measure

To complete a challenge, a user cannot simply walk by. They must interact.

Verification Mechanic: Users must find and scan a physical QR code displayed prominently within local shops and partner establishments.
Economic Impact: This mechanic provides a direct solution to the “falling economy” by guaranteeing foot traffic into small businesses that lack the marketing budget to attract international crowds on their own.
Community trust: By scanning a code in a shop, the tourist transitions from a “passive observer” to an “active supporter” of the Keelung community.

3-The rewards

We believe in rewarding curiosity. Our reward system provides both digital pride and physical value, ensuring a high level of “User Happiness”.

Physical Rewards:
- 10% coffee discounts: Earned after completing “Foodie Spot” quests, encouraging users to sit, relax, and stay longer in the city.
- dinner vouchers & medals: High-tier rewards for longer routes like “The Stairway to the Ocean,” providing a clear incentive to spend a full day in Keelung rather than leaving for Taipei.
Digital rewards:
- Users earn unique digital medals and XP (Experience Points) viewable on their “Awards” screen, allowing them to share their cultural achievements with friends and family back home.

No language barrier

To truly embody the spirit of Team Hamburger and bridge the gap between Taiwan and the world, Detour is designed as a global platform. Recognizing that the language barrier is one of the primary obstacles for international tourists, we have made our application fully accessible in six different languages: Chinese, English, French, Thai, Indonesian, and German. This ensures that whether a traveler is arriving from a cruise ship out of Hamburg or visiting from across Southeast Asia, they can navigate Keelung’s streets, read historical quest descriptions, and interact with local shop owners with total ease. By speaking the user’s language, we transform a potentially stressful foreign environment into a welcoming and inclusive adventure.

Scan the QR code below to download the app

III- Target users: Who is Detour for ?

Our research identified three primary segments that will drive the success of the application and the revitalization of the city.

1- The cruise passenger

The first and most critical group is the Cruise Passenger, often arriving from international ports like Hamburg with zero Mandarin knowledge. These travelers suffer from “Return Anxiety,” a deep-seated fear of missing their ship’s departure, which currently keeps them confined to the port or rushing away to Taipei. Keelung Quest serves this user by providing 100% reliable return times and multi-language support in English, German, French, Thai, and Indonesian, giving them the “psychological permission” and the linguistic tools to explore the city’s heart with total confidence.

2- The day tripper

The second segment focuses on the Day Tripper, typically consisting of local Taiwanese residents or students who are tech-savvy and prefer authentic, “off-the-beaten-path” experiences. While they don’t face a language barrier, they often find that Keelung lacks engaging daytime activities after a brief visit to the harbor. For these users, the app transforms the city into a playground through gamified challenges like “Temple Run” or “The Stairway to the Ocean,” turning a standard walk into a rewarding mission where they can earn digital medals and physical vouchers.

3- The local vendor

Finally, we consider the Local Vendor as a secondary target user and essential partner. These are the shop owners in Renai market and specialty stores who have historically struggled with a falling economy due to a lack of visibility to international crowds. By integrating their businesses as physical “QR challenge stations” within the app, we provide them with a direct marketing channel to global tourists. This ensures that as tourists find happiness through exploration, the local community finds prosperity through guaranteed foot traffic and direct economic support.