Mobile location based networking apps such as Foursquare, Gowalla, Brightkite and Loopt are gaining traction in the market. How do they fit into the travel experience? By definition mobile location based networking is designed to help you discover the world around you, a natural connection to travel. There is a gaming element of these apps that allow you earn badges or become the mayor of a frequently visited locations. A new start up TopGuest is working to hook the game rewards with real loyalty points from hotels and other travel suppliers. Traditional media is embracing LBS as The Wall Street Journal integrates restaurant reviews and specific WSJ badges with Foursquare. The Pennsylvania Tourism Board  launched a program with Foursquare that has sprinkled 100 tips at locations across the state.The Intercontinental Hotel Group is doing a trial with Gowalla. This is only the beginning.  Mobile location based networking has the potential to become your personal concierge. Driven by your personal network, location based apps can have your friends recommend a restaurant in NYC or help you discover a museum in Vienna.

The real question is whether these standalone apps will remain independent or become part of larger social networks such as Facebook or Twitter. Review sites such as Yelp! have added a check-in feature to compete. It has been rumored that Yahoo! has been trying to buy Foursquare. Most apps allow you to hook into your Facebook network already. It is likely that one or more of these apps will become part of a bigger company, but as a category mobile location based apps will continue to have an impact on the travel experience. I would encourage all parts of the travel value chain to take a good look at these apps and figure out a strategy to work with these companies.  There is a huge gaming market. Travel companies historically have not exploited games in a big way. Linking a location based service with a destination and rewarding travelers with loyalty points seems like a natural way to enhance the travel experience, promote your brand and increase loyalty.

We’ve all read about the value of user generated content (UGC) and viral marketing. Unfortunately the best intentions do not always produce the desired results. Positively Cleveland, a DMO that promotes the region created a “Hastily-Made Tourism Video Contest”. The goal was simple, use UGC to promote the city. This video was “created” for the contest, but obviously was never selected. None the less the first version of this funny but disturbing video has attracted 1,206,632 views. The second version to the left has attracted 994,291 views. When searching Cleveland on YouTube this video comes up 1st!
The lesson here is an important one. Travel companies can try to use UGC to enhance their online offering, but beware as the Internet user population may take this opportunity to do exactly the opposite from your intended goal. The sad part of this video is that though it is obviously a farce, it does show our country’s declining “rust belt” and the toll the Recession has taken on the area.

No one would disagree that the cell phone is quickly evolving into a personal mobile computing device. Thinking of a cell phone in terms of a mobile sensor platform helps solidify the true nature of the evolution of mobile technology we are witnessing around us. What makes a mobile device a sensor platform? With A-GPS becoming standard, the ability for mobile devices to sense location is obvious, but the device could sense other things as well such as temperature, motion, barometric pressure to just name a few. In addition the ubiquitous nature of broadband wireless connectivity which is on the near horizon (e.g. WiMAX, city wide Wi-Fi coverage) promises to turn the mobile phone into the ultimate thin computing device connecting to the network for information download or upload. Here are some thoughts

• Imagine taking a picture on your cell phone camera and having it automatically uploaded to your Flickr home page.
• How about providing real-time Trip Advisor reviews when you enter your hotel room based on your immediate impressions.
• Barometric and temperature sensing could provide more realistic weather updates
• Motion sensors can track your movements and provide an opportunity to share your “walking tours” with other leisure travelers
• Restaurant reviews could be accessed from an online database triggered by your location
• Applying social networking techniques to idenfity other travelers with similiar interest is another likely way mobile technology could improve the travel experience.

The number of potential applications for the travel industry is only limited by our imagination. The computer in your hand will allow travelers to interact with online content combining feedback, information and advice all based on your location. This vision is rapdily becoming a reality.
It is my pleasure to be the lead analyst for PhoCusWright on a new special report: “The Future of Mobile Travel” Sponsorship is still available. Please contact Bruce Rosard (brosard@phocuwright.com) if you are interested in becoming a sponsor for this timely special report.

M:Metrics released some detailed stats on 3G usage that should raise a flag for all in the travel industry. If you don’t know, 3G refers to the third generation wireless networks that provide more features and faster speeds than 2G networks. What caught my eye was the stat which concerns photo-sharing, which skyrockets to 45.1% monthly penetration among 3G users, up from 17.1% of non-3Gers. The bottom line is that next generation cell phone users are increasingly depending on their camera phones. What does this mean for the travel industry?

If you combine the growth of user generated content with this increased photo-sharing usage, the picture should be clear. Travel suppliers, especially hoteliers, need to be sensitive to the fact that an upset customer will not only blast the hotel at review sites such as Trip Advisor or IGUGO, but will increasingly use their cell phones to document short comings of a property augmented by real- time pictures posted to blogs or photo-sharing sites such as Flickr. The old cliche that a picture paints a thousand words says it all.