/ / / / / /

How Foursquare Has the Ability to Change the Way We Travel

February 15, 2010 at 3:30 PM | by | Comments (2)

We are mayor of Burg Square in Bruges, Belgium. Did we have to be elected? No. Do we have to keep the locals who shop at the morning market in the square happy? No. In fact, we don't have to do anything but keep visiting and leave tips for those who travel to Burg Square after us, and all based on participation in a single location-based iPhone game called Foursquare.

We first brought up the emerging importance of Foursquare for travelers back when we hosted a roundtable discussion at the 92Y Tribeca in New York, and since then, Matt Gross (aka the New York Times' Frugal Traveler) has written an extremely thoughtful and well-reserched argument in favor of it becoming a travel tool. But we can say—since we've been obsessed with Foursquare since late last summer—that it is only the beginning for this mobile app, and we couldn't be more in love with how it contributes to the travel experience.


We earned the "On a Boat" badge, and got tips for the Algonquin Hotel

Foursquare is not a huge and confusing application at all; in fact, it's quite simple. The basic premise is to "check in" to the app when you're at a place like a bar or restaurant or landmark, and then your friends can see where you are and maybe join you or compete with you over who can visit more/cooler places. Additionally, you can leave tips for the locations, add new spots, and if you visit one location more than anyone else, you become "mayor" of it and perhaps earn a themed badge, like a girl scout badge. We hopped from WiFi spot to WiFi spot just to be able to check in to places abroad and earn those badges, and we found ourselves thinking about it far too much.

While there are other location-sharing apps out there like Loopt, we like Foursquare for the addictive gaming element and how quickly it's catching on abroad. During our recent visits to London, Edinburgh and Bruges, we noticed that people using Foursquare had already added the many restaurants and landmarks to the app along with much appreciated tips. It's a soft sort of connection to other travelers, through the simple act of saying "i was there," but virtually.

And now that Foursquare is raking in the capital from new partnership deals with the likes of Bravo (ex: check in to certain Top Chef-related restaurants to see Top Chef tips and earn a Top Chef badge), tourism officials are taking notice. Actually, Chicago's Office of Tourism has just launched the first city-specific Foursquare campaign, aimed to get visitors and locals out and exploring the city's neighborhoods. And the incentive? Foursquare cred in the form of three badges: Chicago-style hot dogs, Chicago movie locations and Chicago blues music. By trekking around the city and visiting the venues associated with the badge (a full list is here), you kill two birds with one stone: you discover the city through tips from other travelers and the tourist board while upping your points and badges in competition with other on Foursquare.

We spoke with Dorothy Coyle, Director of the Chicago Office of Tourism, about the importance of this Foursquare deal with Chicago, and she explained that the real goal is to get tourists away from the usual heavily-trafficked areas and out into the real heart of the city—its diverse neighborhoods. Plus they'll be able to analyze data from users on Foursquare to see exactly what badges are most popular, what venues see the most action, and how far travelers are venturing into the city because of it. And since these special badges are so in demand, they might even attract Foursquare users from other cities to visit solely for the purpose of earning them.

So we want to know what you think. Do you use Foursquare? Would you use it on a trip for the tips or just to show off to your friends that you've checked into Tower Bridge? Let us know in the comments below, and totally check out the Frugal Traveler's story for the way that Foursquare can help you stay on budget over your vacation.

Related Stories:
· Foursquare [Official Site]
· Foursquare: Share, and You Can Be The Mayor [NYT Frugal Traveler]
· Technology Travel [Jaunted]

[Photos: Foursquare, Chicago Office of Tourism]

Comments (2)

Post a Comment

Return to » How Foursquare Has the Ability to Change the Way We Travel


Foursquare

I absolutely love Foursquare - I love that when you check in to a place where your friends are, it automatically updates you.
transient travels on February 19, 2010 at 9:41 AM #Permalink

Foursquare's potential

I think the popularity and utility we're seeing at this point is just the tip of the iceberg. There's a ton of potential, from activities to marketing opportunities. Planning a blog this weekend discussing just this (for users and internet marketing). Follow me @khemystx if you're interested.
Kim McCumber on February 20, 2010 at 2:31 AM #Permalink

Return to » How Foursquare Has the Ability to Change the Way We Travel

Join the conversation!

Not a member? .
Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy (Revised 08/01/2011). © Condé Nast Digital. All rights reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast Digital.
Ad Choices