…
Columbus Internet launched ‘Travel WithMe’, a real-time multi-user trip-planning application, which is available on facebook, at ithme.travel as well as in Google Wave.
Travel WithMe can be used by solo travelers, but it really comes into its own when used together with other people. A user can invite other people to the trip, all of whom can see which attractions or accommodation the others are looking at, as well as being able to add items of interest to the trip, and even drag and drop them into a calendar. It’s a totally new web-experience to actually see the trip being created in front of you and take part in the process; Travel WithMe is one of the first applications in the Internet to work like this.
On the facebook version, users can conveniently invite any of their facebook friends to join the trip. When adding people to the trip in the web-version, the user enters a name for his/herself and the people they want to invite and Travel WithMe creates a unique web-link which leads directly to the shared trip.
When the trip-planning is complete, Travel WithMe provides a free downloadable, personalized guidebook for the trip, with a page for each of the attractions including detailed maps so everything is easy to find.
‘Travel WithMe’ features a huge range of sights and attractions with excellent descriptions and photos. Information on hotels is provided by hotels.com, while budget accommodation is by Hostelworld.com and both can be booked directly from within the Trip-Planner. People can also check out the area surrounding their accommodation using Google Street View.
“Travel WithMe is perfectly adapted for the social-media generation, letting people plan trips together,” said Andrew Sittermann, CEO at Columbus Internet. “We’re also really proud to be providing the first application on the web which lets people do this together in real-time.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
