Location-based travel guides – why should you be using them?

Here at Hummba, we’ve long said that the days of carrying around a bulky travel guide book are numbered. What was once a useful tool (before the advent of the smartphone), is now becoming nothing more than a nuisance when travelling abroad. The travel information contained in guide books is notoriously outdated, and of course they can be quite pricey. Adding to that, unless you buy a ‘pocket version’, they can also be quite heavy and bothersome to lug around from one place to the next.

According to the Pew Research Center in Washington, more than 46% of Americans owned a smartphone in February, 2012. This represents an increase of 11% when compared to the numbers from May, 2011 (source). People are beginning to explore the capabilities of their mobile phones, as well as rely on the devices to carry out everyday tasks, such as check train timetables or read restaurant reviews. The emergence of third party applications is also adding fuel to this fire, showing smartphone owners the sheer amount of information they can easily access at the touch of a few buttons.

Enter Hummba, the intelligent travel guide for your mobile phone. Our intelligent audio guides use mobile GPS technology to provide smartphone users with accurate travel information that is relevant to where they are in the world. For example, you can find up-to-date information about the nearest place to grab a bite for lunch, while you’re standing on top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. With Hummba, you’ll have access to an unprecedented amount of audio and text travel content, right there on your mobile phone.

We offer two ways to get the travel information you need. Firstly, you can download the Hummba application to your iPhone or Android, free of charge. You can then search for paid or free guides to your favourite travel destinations and download them through the app itself. Download multiple guides and use the Hummba app to get the most of your travels.

If however you’re looking to download a guide to a single travel destination, then you can visit the iTunes Store or Android Marketplace and search for the Tourism Radio standalone guides as well. Search for the Tourism Radio New York City Guide, for example, if you’re looking to find out more about the Big Apple.

Location-based travel guides for the mobile phone take all the legwork out for getting travel information when you need it most. Visit hummba.com for more information on the Hummba application, or head straight for the Hummba guide store and start searching for guides.