Mobile Travel Guide and Audio Tour the First of Its Kind

Inspired by “all-in-one” cell phones like Apple’s new iPhone , Germany’s AudioTravel introduces the world’s first fully integrated city map, city guide and audio tour for mobile devices.

Munich, Germany (PRWEB) May 30, 2007 -- AudioTravel, a pioneering mobile travel guide (www.audiotravel.com) company in Europe’s audio tour industry, has unveiled the world’s first fully integrated city map and audio tour for cell phones.

Responding to a public for which the availability of portable music, entertainment, information and communication has become a given, Dina Hagl, AudioTravel founder, worked with her business partner and husband, Richard, and new team member Sebastien Chauvin — who brings with him the mobile software expertise — to come up with the mobile travel guide and an audio tour (www.audiotravel.com) that features a city’s landmarks, sights, restaurants and cafes and other places of interest via “clickable” city maps. The company, whose offerings to date have included tours of both Munich and Cologne in CD or MP3 format, added the mobile application as a direct response to the latest trends and statistics: More and more people prefer to download music to their cell phones than to tote around an extra MP3 player. The mobile version for Munich is already on the market, with Cologne to follow shortly. To see a Flash video highlighting the unique features of AudioTravel's mobile city tours please visit http://www.audiotravel.com/mobile/

Until now, audio tour companies have offered mobile guides in the form of printable maps and expensive cell phone calls, often replete with roaming charges. The AudioTravel download eliminates the paper and the mobile charges, making the choice to explore with a mobile device that much easier for travelers.

After putting the files on any of a wide variety of mobile devices — a growing list of makes and models can be found at the company’s Website — the tourist can pan city maps (www.audiotravel.com), dotted with the most important sights and eateries, via the keypad and/or touch screen. Once a city highlight is chosen, the sightseer can select and click “play” to listen to the audio tour. The unique feature here is the built-in audio player, which allows the user to select, play, and pause the audio tracks right from the map.

Hagl says the fact that most people own cell phones, coupled with the popularity of such innovative new multi-functional devices as the iPhone, led to her company’s decision to offer the new mobile travel guide: “Nowadays,” says the business owner, “you can take your books, your phone, your radio and MP3s wherever you go, on one device. Research from as recently as January shows that, now that music phones are in the game, MP3 players are in real danger of becoming obsolete. Richard, Sebastien and I are excited to keep evolving to stay in line with the most innovative of trends, while continuing to offer the other formats to those who prefer a choice.”

Before purchasing the package — mobile travel guide, city map and audio tour — travel enthusiasts looking for a flexible tour that keeps them from being bound by groups or guides can visit the company’s Website at www.audiotravel.com to download a free trial version of the tour. Purchasers receive AudioTravel’s short instructional video on how to navigate the mobile version. Once installed, the traveler can access the full audio tour, enhanced by local tales and folklore peppered with music and sound effects, and all of the features, including such “amenities” as a call button on each restaurant listing for easy reservation booking (cell phone rates apply).

Though it may be the first to turn the mobile device into a fully integrated mobile travel guide (www.audiotravel.com), city map and audio tour, AudioTravel doesn’t plan to rest on its laurels: Hagl and her partners plan to expand to other European cities and develop their tours for all types of mobile devices including, Apple’s new iPhone, as soon as the technology giant allows third party applications.

For additional information on AudioTravel’s mobile travel guide, city map and audio tour, contact Dina Hagl or visit www.audiotravel.com.

About AudioTravel:

Based in Graefelfing near Munich, AudioTravel was established in 2004 by Illinois-native Dina Hagl. In summer 2005, the first Audio City Guide for Munich was released, in both English and in German. Last year, the Cologne City Guide and Audio Tour was added. The new, three-partner AudioTravel team released the mobile travel guide version for Munich in May 2007. Additional cities are under development.

Contact:

Dina Hagl, owner

AudioTravel

+49 89 85 89 64 74

http://www.audiotravel.com

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