Frommer’s poised to revolutionise mobile travel in SA

South African travel technology company Tourism Radio has teamed up with Frommer’s Unlimited in a move that is set to revolutionise the world of mobile travel guides.

Frommer’s has been a trusted travel resource for more than 50 years, and the partnership with the iconic travel brand will firmly establish Tourism Radio in the mobile space with the next generation of travel guides. Tourism Radio’s unique mobile technology seamlessly blends Frommer’s text content with Tourism Radio audio clips, which automatically play as travellers enter their location.

The initial partnership launch will entail the release of audio and text travel guides to a number of popular travel destinations around the world. This includes comprehensive guides to the top tourist cities of New York, London and Paris. The guides can be downloaded as standalone applications for Android and iPhone, or accessed through the Tourism Radio travel application, Hummba.

Hummba.com was included in the listings for the Top 20 Startups in Africa in Forbes magazine in February this year.

Tourism Radio founder and CEO Mark Allewell says, “We like to think of our partnership with Frommer’s as serendipity on steroids. Travellers will now be able to easily access an unprecedented amount of quality travel information, directly from their mobile phones. We’re also delighted to partner with one of the world’s oldest and most respected travel companies, and we look forward to producing guides that cater for every traveller’s needs.”

The Frommer’s Unlimited team is optimistic about the partnership’s potential in the travel landscape.  “Offering Frommer’s travel information through Tourism Radio’s intelligent mobile audio guides is an exciting new way for travelers to access our expert travel advice at the right time in the right place,” said Craig Schickler, Director of E-Business Development, Wiley.   “We are happy to be working with Tourism Radio and together helping shape memorable experiences for travelers around the globe.”

From launch until the 1st of May, the audio travel guides from across the globe will be free for download, after which, they will range in price from US$ 0.99 to US$4.99, depending on the amount of travel content they contain. A selection of free, ‘lite’ guides, to several popular destinations around the world, will also be available for download. These give travellers the opportunity to sample the content before committing to the purchase of a full guide.

Staff writer