LocalGuiding Says Locals Know Best

Candice McMillan, September 10th, 2012

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The word “tourist” often conjures up images of overcrowded buses, people-infested locations and unbearably long queues. For those of us who aren’t particularly fond of this mass hysteria; there is LocalGuiding and the LocalGuiding API.

Local Guiding is a service that allows individuals to create their own unique travel adventures by booking personalized tours with local tour guides. The idea is to introduce travelers to the real beauty and authentic culture of a destination. It’s about connecting with the locals, finding those hidden gems that only they know about, getting advice on the best things to do in that region and generally experiencing life as they know it.

Here’s how it works:

• Local guides sell their travel services by creating their own shop on the website, listing their specific services.

• Travelers enter their desired destination into a search box and are presented with a list of tours and activities in that destination.

• Users can look into the tours in more detail to see ratings, reviews and more information on the person who is leading the tour.

• Users can ask questions and get direct advice from locals who know the destination inside out.

• Users can get travel tips and recommendations from locals.

The LocalGuiding API is a RESTful API that provides JSON formatted tour data. It allows developers to access and integrate LocalGuiding’s tour and guide data with other applications. Developers who are interested in making use of the API can email partnership@localguiding.com for more information.