‘Urban bellhops’ meet and greet Airbnb guests
Airbnb has opened up a new market for consumer-provided tourist accommodation, and we’ve seen other businesses such as EatWith inspired by the service. Now San Francisco-based Urban Bellhop is tapping into the Airbnb customer base by offering a check-in service for those hosting tourists. READ MORE…
SIM card offers cheap international data for frequent fliers
While Hong Kong-based handy has offered a rented smartphone and unlimited internet access for tourists, this might not be the best option for frequent fliers regularly visiting different corners of the world. DOODAD is an international SIM card that enables travelers to take advantage of an inexpensive GSM connection regardless of the contract they’re on. READ MORE…
Airline commissions books that can be completed in flight time
In today’s world of non-stop information and endless social network notifications, it’s hard to find the time to concentrate on just one story, never mind finishing a full-length novel. The Netherlands’ VertragingsApp has already encouraged train passengers to discover short story authors based on their delay time, and now a new project has created a range of fiction titles for customers of Australia’s Qantas airline, selected to correspond with flight times. READ MORE…
Open house cooking offers tourists local homemade food and friendly chat
Eating is traditionally a social experience, something recognized by the UK’s Casserole scheme, which connects elderly people with leftover meals cooked by their neighbors. Now EatWith aims to link up travelers in need of food with residents willing to meet new people. READ MORE…
Tourist suggestions crowdsourced from social media trends in real time
Netherlands-based WaarSchijntdeZonWel.nl has already provided a way for tourists to book last minute holidays based on the current weather. Now another Dutch platform – Suggestme – is doing the same for travelers looking for destinations that are popular on social media at the time and enables users to compile their own custom guide. READ MORE…
Airline introduces world’s first ‘pay-by-weight’ customer charge
Air travel is ripe for world firsts – take Virgin Atlantic‘s in-flight art gallery for example. In a slightly more controversial move, Samoa Air is now claiming to be the first airline in the world to charge passengers based on their own weight, as well as their luggage. READ MORE…
Rented smartphones for tourists offer free international calls and unlimited internet access
Tourists who don’t travel abroad often can sometimes face steep price increases for making phone calls and texts if their tariff doesn’t include international minutes and roaming charges come into effect. Bearing this in mind, Hong Kong-based handy is leasing smartphones out to visitors, pre-loaded with free calls, 3G internet access and apps to help them navigate their destination. READ MORE…
During presidential inauguration, hotel offers social media butler
Capturing a trip is an important part of the experience for most travelers, something that the Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel picked up on with its instant Facebook update booths. In conjunction with the presidential inauguration earlier this week, The Madison Washington DC offered its Inaugural Town and Country package, which included a social media expert to document guests’ stays and keep their online profiles updated. READ MORE…
Modular caravan expands for more spacious living quarters
Domestic vacations can be a frugal way to take a break, but the image many people have of spending a week in a cramped caravan can be unappealing. Aiming to change that, the Romotow is a flexible and stylish mobile living quarters that can expand to create more space. READ MORE…
Limited edition tour guides feature helpful locals’ phone numbers
As we saw with Nectar & Pulse and Plus One Berlin, innovations in the tourism sector are increasingly looking to connect travelers with locals in order to provide a more personalized experience. In a similar vein, For You The Traveller is a limited edition printed brochure written by one local per country, which also provides that person’s phone number. READ MORE…
