Dec 8, 2011
Lonely Planet has announced the launch of a new iPhone app which combines content from its best-selling guidebook brand with that of its competitors.
Wenzani launched December 5 and is described as the first app of its kind to combine content from multiple sources with socially-curated recommendations, providing travelers with a broad range of information on a destination.
Wenzani's content is provided when users choose who they want to 'follow' to get their travel information – the names available include a stellar lineup of brands such as Lonely Planet, Frommer's Travel, DK Eyewitness, BBC Travel, Time Out and Hearst.
The notable absentee is Rough Guides, which made its own appearance a year ago in a not dissimilar app called Whatser, which also uses 'following' functionality to allow users to explore what's around them, recently opening the door for other brands such as Heineken and G-Star Raw to suggest places to users.
For now, Wenzani seems to work on a more personal level, allowing users to follow individual guidebook authors and also integrating with social media networks, allowing users to connect with their friends and have more personalised 'guidebook' entries displayed against the professional content where social media contacts have added it.
Lonely Planet says that in the future, Wenzani will become even smarter, filtering activities and recommendations by factors such as weather and time of day, and whether the user is a local or a tourist, to offer the best suggestions in real time.
For now, the app is free, but the number of downloads will be limited to 100,000 while the product is still in a beta stage before further updates next year. – AFP/Relaxnews
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