MapQuest, subsidiary of AOL Inc., has just launched MapQuest Discover, one of the tools they plan on releasing that focus on the complete travel experience. The new tool focuses on destinations and offers users’ the possibility to create and share collections and photos from their trips, thus being a good tool for travel enthusiasts which love to share their discoveries.
“Discovery” has four main components. Collections is the first feature and it enables users to create an online space where they present the places they have visited and promote about their travel accomplishments. The platform also features a newsfeed which presents interesting places, popular collections and guides users can like. There is a passport section which reveals what places a person has visited, their collections, etc. and the final component is travel content which offers access to travel guides and articles written by experts. Users can access these materials to find out more about their destinations and to better plan their trips.
“MapQuest Discover captures how a traveler gets inspired,” explained Francis Lobo, senior vice president of AOL Services. “As one user’s collections pique another’s interest, the MapQuest Discover platform spurs continued travel and shared experiences.”
“Since more than 84 percent of all domestic trips in the United States are taken in a car*, we believe MapQuest is perfectly suited to act as a true virtual concierge,” said Brian McMahon, General Manager of MapQuest. “This is just the beginning of a complete suite of helpful products and tools you’ll be seeing from MapQuest over the next several months to help travelers discover, plan, experience and share their journeys.”
MapQuest also announced that MapQuest Local is now linked with “Discovery”. On MapQuest Local pages about states, cities, places, and neighborhoods now include reviews, deals, travel guides and related collections from the tool launched today.
Any such service and platform definitely needs to keep up with everything new. The company needs however to find the best ways to attract people as there are so many apps available and social media sites, especially when it comes to travel, that people find it hard to manage their profiles and have a constant presence, not just an inactive account.
About Violeta-Loredana Pascal
