Tourism Radio Takes Flight on Expedia

Cape Town, South Africa – Tourism Radio, a location-based radio station for independent tourists, is the latest service provider to join the Expedia.com website. Expedia is one of the world’s leading travel websites. Users have access to all the information required to plan, research and pay for their travels. In addition to features such as airline tickets, hotel reservations, car rental and cruises, travellers from across the globe can now opt for Tourism Radio in their rental cars to enhance their travel experience.

Chief Operating Officer, Mark Allewell said, “We’re very excited about partnering with Expedia. They are a fantastic travel resource and Tourism Radio can positively contribute to the service they’re offering tourists to South Africa and particularly Cape Town and Kwa Zulu Natal.”

Tourism Radio is an onboard travel guide, offering listeners location-based information about the area they are travelling through. Other broadcasts include radio shows covering topics like South African food, language and culture, as well as local music. Tourism Radio also boasts a unique “Intellipoint” system that will draw a listener’s attention to landmarks and highlights as the car approaches them.

The latest offering from Tourism Radio is the inclusion of routes within their line up. Wine lovers can follow up to five wine routes throughout the Western Cape to experience the winelands at their leisure. The Cape Point route highlights some of the most impressive natural surroundings in the whole of the Western Cape.

Expedia is regarded in the industry as a leading service provider to scores of travellers. In 2008, Expedia brought more than 100 000 tourists to South Africa with their comprehensive web portal.

“We’re looking forward to talking to more tourists coming to South Africa, we’re confident that the partnership between Expedia and ourselves will deliver on the promise to enhance the travel experience to South Africa, especially in light of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup,” said Mark Allewell.

Visit www.expedia.com to book Tourism Radio for your travels in and around SA.

Location, location, location...

You may not like it, but your cell phone says a lot about you. In fact, it says the things that you can't seem to admit to yourself. But consider yourself warned, cell phones never lie. They're like the new zodiac signs.

It doesn't just end there though, these days how you use your cell phone is as important as what it looks like. I'd even be as bold as to say that there are even gender differences emerging simply from cell phone usage. On the whole, cell phone usage sets the mark for who you are or how you fit into the world today.

For instance, if you're tech savvy/crazy, you're logging onto social networking sites from your phone, downloading music, videos and constantly instant messaging it probably means that your need for information and your communication style is defined by the realities of society in 2009 (and beyond). In short, it means you're "mobile."

Coming, going, on the move, places to go, people to see, forget the tshirt, get a profile, you can be anywhere at anytime, you are indeed mobile. Location based marketing is the latest by product of being mobile, it means that if the big advertising machine can't reach you through static activity, they're going to get you on the run. "Mobile phone tracking" and "GPS enabled" mean that Big Brother is not only watching you but has welcomed a new addition to the family to make sure they keep an eye on you.

Its not as scary or as intrusive as it might seem anymore. Once upon a time it was regarded as an invasion of privacy if you got a phone call after 8pm. The cell phone age means that our tolerance has been stretched to fielding calls from every call center imaginable selling you everything from more cell phones to insurance to memberships at the gym.

There is definitely an upside to location based media though. In a definition found on Wikipedia (whatever happened to Encyclopedia Britannica?), location based media allows "for the enhancement of any given environment offering explanation, analysis and detailed commentary on what the user is looking at through a combination of video, audio, images and text. The location-aware device can deliver interpretation of cities, parklands, heritage sites, sporting events or any other environment where location based media is required."

And now for the rest of my upside...this means that you, as a cell phone user, have the option (some might call it a luxury) of being able to access any information you need, at any time. There are no such thing as inconveniences anymore. The world is now your world and it couldn't have happened a moment too soon.

The very definition of location based media is now packaged, complete with smiley face, in a new social networking site called hummba. Visit www.hummba.com to find out just how to maximise the use of your mobile phone, anywhere in the world. Keen travellers and weekend away specialists are all talking about how to use hummba to stay in touch, share your experience regardless of your vicinity to your friends and make the most of the moment you are in. In short, it brings new meaning to the phrase..."have cell phone, will travel."

Visit www.hummba.com for more...let your phone speak for itself.