NileGuide unveils expansion

Trip planning service NileGuide is extending its systems to accommodate thousands more destinations. The service currently covers about 150 destinations, but development scheduled for the end of the year will open the system to accommodate many more.

NileGuide chief executive Josh Steinitz said the service would become more international. “Our traffic will grow because we will become relevant for all those additional searches in Google,” he said.

The company intends to announce a partnership with a leading US publisher and deals in the UK and Asia before the end of the year.

Steinitz said: “Trip planning is coming into its own and we think there is opportunity to be a first mover in Asia and Europe.”

The company is looking to increase content from its local experts by allowing them direct access to the platform and incentivising them to contribute. It plans to integrate the site with Facebook and Twitter.

“Social media is much more powerful when you are talking about content rather than just metasearch or deals,” said Steinitz. “I am more interested in this show or that jazz bar, and who has been there, than doing hotel marketing.”

Other enhancements include additional ratings and reviews from sources including Travelpost, Yahoo Travel and Tripadviser.

NileGuide has developed widgets and badges enabling companies to put dynamic contextual destination information on their sites. Hotels can gear the widget around local points of interest, and businesses on NileGuide will be able to put a badge on their own sites which users can click on to start building a trip. A launch partner for the widgets is about to be announced.