Geotrio is hoping to roll out its user generated content powered audio tours sharing technology to hotel operators.
Geotrio targets hotels in bid to become the ‘YouTube of tours’
Geotrio is hoping to roll out its user generated content powered audio tours sharing technology to hotel operators.
The company, which started in 2009, has created an application that allows users to record tour information for locations thay are familiar with.
People can create their own unique tours and then share them with other users. Serious users can also submit their work to a pro tours section. In addition, Geotrio is building partnerships throughout the travel industry to create new tours.
Oded Korcyzn, co-founder and chief executive of Geotrio, said: “We are talking with several hotels who want to offer a tour to their guests and one of the biggest advantages is that the tour can start exactly at the hotel entrance.
“There is no need to walk or drive or take a cab to where the tour starts. That is something hotels have really expressed interest in.”
The idea for this type of tour first occurred to Korcyzn while he was in London. He missed his original tour and was forced to go on an alternative one a day later. This might not have been so bad, except he had planned to propose to his girlfriend on the original tour.
After the replacement tour turned out badly, Korcyzn came up with the idea behind Geotrio. The company is looking for investors to help it scale up its operations.
Geotrio is also in the process of adding three new features. Korcyzn said: “Every time you take a tour you can tweet about it, put it on Facebook and email it to your friends. That’s number one.”
“Number two; we will be adding a feature that will enable users, if they want, to see other people who are taking tours nearby, so users will be able to socialise. The third thing we are adding that we are working on is a mystery tour.”
Korcyzn said the company is also hoping to add location-based advertising once it reaches a critical mass of users. This would allow them to provide unique extras to the travel industry and offer ancillary providers highly targeted advertising opportunities.
Korcyzn said the ultimate goal for Geotrio is to become the YouTube of tours, providing users with guides for everything from history to shopping.
